Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, on January 31, just one day before the start of Black History Month, we lost one of our Nation's most important civil rights pioneers--Coretta Scott King. Black History Month is an appropriate opportunity to mourn her death, celebrate her extraordinary life, and reflect on the extraordinary partnership of Mrs. King and her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Although Dr. King was the heart and face of the civil rights movement, Mrs. King was its backbone. She marched alongside her husband in Selma to demand voting rights for African Americans. She marched with him again in Washington to demand a Federal law protecting the civil rights of all Americans. And she marched with her husband in Memphis one day before he was killed, to provide relief for the sanitation workers facing entrenched discrimination.
After Dr. King's murder in 1968, Coretta Scott King fought with enormous grace and determination to keep her husband's legacy alive. She founded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change to further his dream of racial equality, and fought tirelessly to establish a national holiday to honor her late husband. Although it took her 15 years to accomplish this goal, Congress finally enacted a law in 1983 designating the third Monday of January as Dr. Martin Luther King Day.
Since her husband's death 38 years ago, Mrs. King continued her work as a civil rights activist, an advocate for women's rights, and a leader in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. She fought for the ideals that made this country great, and became the epitome of American strength and perseverance during a difficult struggle for civil rights.
In the spirit of Coretta Scott King, let us rededicate ourselves to give all Americans the opportunity and justice they need to meet the challenges of today. Through perseverance and a deep belief in God and humanity, we can go a long way to achieving a more perfect America.
