AASU pays tribute to Coretta Scott King

Students, faculty and administration came together on Tuesday to celebrate the life of Coretta Scott King. The Student Center Theater was filled to capacity with people wishing to pay their final respects to one of the most influential women of our time. The event was hosted by the African-American Student Union (AASU) and the President’s Office.

The memorial included three musical selections—the Georgia Tech Men’s Glee Club, a solo performance by Cedric Trice and a congregational song. A video presentation of Coretta Scott King’s life was presented by James K. Holder.

Valerie Williams, President of the AASU, was Mistress of the Ceremony.

Institute President Wayne Clough was the keynote speaker at the memorial. Four other speakers presented at the ceremony included Orit Sklar, president of the Jewish Student Union; David Andersen, undergraduate student body president; Willie Pearson, chair of the School of History, Technology and Society; and Luqman Abdur-Rahman, a graduate student.

The speakers used the memorial as an opportunity to create a portrait of Coretta Scott King as a leader and inspiration.

“[Coretta Scott King] is one of our nation’s heroic figures that will live in history books,” Clough said.

“She was a leader in her own right,” Clough said. “Even after Dr. King was shot, she continued on and made [her husband’s] dream a reality.”

“Coretta Scott King was clearly more than the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King,” Pearson said. “She was an icon in her own right.”

“By not just deeming her as the wife of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we pay homage to her,” Pearson said. “The history of this country remains incomplete without her rightful place in the annals of our scholarship.”

“She was a woman of courage and strength, as well as a woman of dignity and unflappable grace,” Clough said.

“I was immediately struck by her warm and welcoming personality,” Pearson said. “Regardless of social status, she treated everyone with equal engagement.”

“She understood the values of perseverance and patience, which enabled her to remain calm when in the face of clamor,” Clough said.

“She took advantage of her opportunities instead of worrying about what could go wrong,” Abdur-Rahman said. “Even as a new widow, she always had her head held high.”

King was not only a person of character; she was also a key leader in the Civil Rights movement during and after her husband’s death.

“King was persistent in her words and deeds of encouragement. She never wavered from her stance of non-violence as the only viable option for change,” Pearson said.

“She helped us break free from the bonds of the past and opened up the doors of the future,” Clough said.