Doris Matsui: “Coretta Scott King dedicated her life to racial and economic justice as a leader in the civil rights movement working in…”

“Coretta Scott King dedicated her life to racial and economic justice as a leader in the civil rights movement working in partnership with her late husband, the great civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And after his assassination, she continued her tireless efforts fighting for equal justice for children, the poor and the forgotten among us. She was a passionate advocate for equality here in the United States and around the world. Her efforts ensured a fledgling civil rights organization--the Southern Christian Leadership Conference--had the funds to continue its critical work and her actions made certain apartheid did not fade from the world's conscience. Mrs. King once eloquently said, ``Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul.'' And her accomplishments--the civil rights legacy she created in her own right-- demonstrate how she became our nation's soul. As a nation we mourn the loss of one of our civil rights pioneers, Coretta Scott King. Together we must continue her life's work of equality and justice. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends at this time of loss.”