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Coretta King to carry on work of her late husband

Published:Thursday | December 9, 2021 | 9:56 PMA Digital Integration & Marketing production
Sir Alexander Bustamante holds the outstretched hand of Mrs Coretta King (right), widow of the late civil rights leader, the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr, when she visited Sir Alexander and Lady Bustamante at their home in Irish Town, St Andrew, on December 10, 1968.

The wife of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr says she will need a lot of support and encouragement as it is harder to carry on her husband's legacy as a woman.

Wednesday December 11, 1968

King meets Sir Alex

CORETTA KING, the widow of the late civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., wearing a white dress with red and blue accessories, along with her sister, Mrs Edythe Bagley, visited Sir Alexander Bustamante and Lady Bustamante at their Irish Town home yesterday morning.

King, who received the Marcus Garvey Prize for Human Rights on behalf of her late husband at a ceremony at the National Arena last night, had a friendly talk with Sir Alexander and Lady Bustamante about the work of Dr King, which was cut short at his death.

King is now involved in the establishment of the memorial project for her late husband and intends to continue with the work in which he was involved.

Sir Alexander encouraged Mrs King to fight and never give up on the work in which she would be now furthering, regardless of how much resistance she met.

King said she felt at this time that she would not give up but that she needed a lot of encouragement as she would find the job much more difficult being a woman.

Also with Mrs King and her sister was Mrs King’s secretary, Mrs Bernite Bennett. They were accompanied on the visit to Irish Town by Mr Laurel Bruce, the prime minister’s personal assistant and Miss Carmen Parris, from the Ministry of External Affairs.

King’s other engagements for the day included a luncheon at King’s House given in her honour by Lady Duffus to which the wives of the ministers, the American ambassador, and other leading ladies of the community were invited. At the luncheon, Mrs King received a purple orchid corsage from Lady Duffus. The wife of the American ambassador, Mrs Walter Tobriner, was host to an informal tea party at her residence, 8 Long Lane, in honour of Mrs King, who received a white orchid corsage on her arrival.

 

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