American civil rights campaigner, and widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King (1927 – 2006) stands behind a podium covered in microphones at Peace-In-Vietnam Rally, Central Park, New York, April 27, 1968. | Source: Hulton Archive / Getty
Coretta Scott King‘s youngest daughter took to social media to clear up any potential misconceptions one day after disgraced actor Jonathan Majors invoked the name of Dr. Martin Luther King’s widow while addressing his girlfriend’s unwavering support during his recent domestic violence trial.
Without mentioning Majors, Dr. Bernice King reminded her hundreds of thousands of followers on social media that Coretta Scott King “wasn’t a prop” and was a civil rights icon in her own right.
“She was a peace advocate before she met my father and was instrumental in him speaking out against the Vietnam War,” Bernice King continued. “Please understand…my mama was a force.”
For more evidence of those truths, Bernice King referred her followers — and possibly Majors — to a piece she wrote in the HuffPo several years ago with the headline: “A Woman Purposed To Be A King.”
Bernice King’s social post came just days before the nation is scheduled to pause in remembrance of her father for the annual Martin Luther King federal holiday on Monday.
In case you missed it, Majors on Monday broke his silence for the first time since a New York City jury found him guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend last March.
During his two-week trial, jurors heard audio footage of Majors telling his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, that he needed her to be more like Coretta Scott King and Michelle Obama.
“I’m a great man. A great man. I am doing great things,” Mr. Majors said in the audio, adding: “The woman that supports me, the one I support, needs to be a great woman and make sacrifices.”
Dr. Bernice King speaks onstage during the 2024 King Holiday observance press conference at The King Center on January 4, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. | Source: Derek White / Getty
On Monday during his interview with ABC News, Majors again expressed his desire for the woman in his life to be like Coretta Scott King. He told Linsey Davis as much when she asked how his new girlfriend, actress Meagan Good, was handled his trial and subsequent conviction for assaulting and harassing Jabbari.
Majors was acquitted of separate assault and aggravated harassment charges.
In the interview, Majors described Good as “an angel” and compared her to Coretta Scott King.
“She’s an angel,” Majors told Davis about Good. “She’s held me down like a Coretta [Scott King]. I’m so blessed to have her.”
He added: “The relationship is still fresh.”
Majors was promptly and widely criticized on social media for his second public reference to Coretta Scott King in what some people suggested besmirched the civil rights icon’s name. Social media psychologists who are likely far from board-certified took the liberty to diagnose Majors with obsessive-compulsive disorder for repeatedly name-dropping Coretta Scott King.
In case there’s any confusion, Coretta Scott King wasn’t just the wife of an American hero. She was an icon in her own right and her accomplishments deserve to be celebrated right alongside her husband’s.
You can read more about her impressive life by clicking here.
SEE ALSO:
Honoring A Legend: Coretta Scott King’s Legacy As A Servant Leader And Organizer
