After the assassination of her husband, Martin Luther King Jr., in 1968, Coretta Scott King took on a leadership role in the Civil Rights Movement, continuing the work that her husband had started.
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One of her first major efforts was leading the campaign to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holiday.
She worked tirelessly for over a decade, lobbying for the holiday to be recognized by the United States government. Her efforts were finally successful, and the holiday was first observed in 1986.
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Coretta Scott King also played a key role in establishing the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, also known as the King Center.
In addition to her work with the King Center, Coretta Scott King also remained active in various social justice causes. She was an advocate for women’s rights and LGBTQ rights and spoke out against poverty and violence.
She also travelled extensively, giving speeches and participating in events to promote civil rights and equality. In her later years, she was honoured with many awards for her activism, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.


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