In this WSB newsfilm clip from April 6, 1968, Coretta Scott King speaks at a press conference held at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia following the assassination of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The clip begins with reporters standing around a table with microphones. Coretta Scott King walks towards the table and sits down followed by Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) president Reverend Ralph D. Abernathy. Bernard Lee, Dr. King's special assistant and SCLC member, stands beside Mrs. King and addresses the reporters, apologizing for the delayed beginning of the press conference. After a break in the clip Lee announces that Abernathy will hold a press conference with fellow SCLC leader Andrew Young at Abernathy's church, West Hunter Street Baptist Church, the next day. Lee indicates that Abernathy will answer reporter's questions following Mrs. King's comments. Next Abernathy speaks, thanking Lee for his introduction and introducing Mrs. King to the reporters. Mrs. King begins her comments by thanking Abernathy, Dr. King's "closest friend and associate," for his introduction and presence. She also emphasizes that Dr. King chose Abernathy to be his successor to head SCLC, partly because Dr. King felt Abernathy "could express and interpret his views on nonviolence better than anyone else." Mrs. King goes on to thank other "friends of goodwill" who have helped the family.

After these initial comments Mrs. King reads from a prepared statement. Although Mrs. King declares that she "would have preferred to be alone at this time with my children," she chose to "put aside traditional family considerations" because of the importance of Dr. King's work on behalf of African Americans and all poor people. The clip breaks, and she concludes her statement by stressing that when people in bondage are free and war and poverty ends, "I know my husband will rest in a long-deserved peace." After reading her statement, Mrs. King gathers her papers and stands up. Reverend Abernathy kisses Mrs. King on the cheek before she and Lee walk toward the door. Andrew Young also briefly speaks to Mrs. King. Outside African American children and adults line up in front of a building, allowing a camera to pass them and walk through a door. A United States flag flies at half-mast.

The clip breaks again, returning to Mrs. King's statement. Mrs. King affirms that Dr. King "faced the possibility of death without bitterness or hatred" while still struggling "with every ounce of his energy to save" a sick society from itself. She asserts that the religious nature of her home has helped ease the burden of Dr. King's death for the family. Mrs. King declares her determination to continue Dr. King's work, inviting those "who loved and admired him would join us in fulfilling his dream." The clip ends showing again the United States flag at half-mast.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was with other leaders from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) supporting local sanitation workers in a strike. Following Dr. King's death reverend Ralph D. Abernathy led SCLC for several years; Mrs. Coretta Scott King also became more active in the civil and human rights movement.

Title supplied by cataloger.

The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.

1 clip (about 13 min.): color, sound ; 16 mm.

Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.

WSB-TV newsfilm clip of Coretta Scott King following the assassination of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking at a press conference held at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, 1968 April 6, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1455, 21:14/34:39, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.

Forms part of: Civil Rights Digital Library.