Coretta Scott King was often referred to as the “first lady of civil rights,” known primarily as the wife and then widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
But her presence in Memphis, Tenn., just four days after her husband was slain there, was the act of a civil rights leader in her own right.
On April 8, 1968, Coretta Scott King wore a black lace headscarf as she led a march through downtown Memphis. Three of her four children were at her side.
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