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*Arrangements were being made late Tuesday to transport the body of Coretta Scott King from Mexico to Atlanta following her death Monday night at the age of 78.
Coretta Scott King died in her sleep Monday night at Santa Monica Health Institute, a holistic health center in Rosarito Beach, Mexico, 16 miles south of San Diego. She had been in the area to rest and recuperate from a stroke suffered in August, which left her weakened on her right side, unable to walk, and barely able to speak.
An outpouring of tributes sprang forth upon news of her passing Tuesday morning, including a moment of silence in the Georgia Capitol and piles of flowers placed at the tomb of her slain husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Flags at the King Center, founded by Coretta to honor Dr. King’s legacy, were lowered to half-staff.
Gov. Sonny Perdue ordered flags at all state buildings to be flown at half-staff and offered to allow King's body to lie in repose at the Georgia Capitol. There was no immediate response to the offer, the governor's office said.
Just two weeks ago, she made her first public appearance in a year during an annual celebration in honor of Dr. King’s birthday.
Meanwhile, "Tavis Smiley" on PBS will rebroadcast what is believed to be the last major national television interview by Coretta Scott King, airing on PBS stations on Thursday, February 2nd (check local listings or visit www.pbs.org/tavissmiley).
The half hour conversation between Mrs. King and Mr. Smiley was recorded on January 17, 2005 at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta and aired to coincide with the King Holiday celebration last year.
Here are a list of remarks on the passing of Coretta Scott King, and the legacy she leaves behind.
• Poet Maya Angelou said on ABC’s Good Morning America: “It's a bleak morning for me and for many people and yet it's a great morning because we have a chance to look at her and see what she did and who she was. It's bleak because I can't — many of us can't hear her sweet voice — but it's great because she did live, and she was ours. I mean African-Americans and white Americans and Asians, Spanish-speaking — she belonged to us and that's a great thing.”
• At a news conference, former Atlanta mayor and family friend Andrew Young said Coretta’s resolve rivaled that of her husband. "She was strong if not stronger than he was. She lived a graceful and beautiful life, and in spite of all of the difficulties, she managed a graceful and beautiful passing," he said.
• Rev. Joseph Lowery, who helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr. King in 1957, said: "She wore her grief with grace. She exerted her leadership with dignity."
• President Bush hailed her as "a remarkable and courageous woman and a great civil rights leader."
• Dorothy I. Height, Chair and President Emerita of the National Council of Negro Women: "We are indebted to Coretta Scott King for the way she helped to institutionalize Dr. King's vision and teachings, which are needed today more than ever. However, in her own self, she was also strong and a positive force for peace and justice. Mrs. King had an appreciation for the contributions of all people, and she was always working to create the 'beloved community' that we might become. In one of our nation's darkest hours, we drew strength from her presence, and she showed us how to cope with suffering. I have not only lost a friend. The world has lost a great voice for non-violence."
• BET Chairman and CEO Debra Lee about the death of Coretta Scott King: “Our generation may never know a finer example of dignity, fortitude and dedication than Coretta Scott King. As a woman, I particularly admired Mrs. King’s grace, strength and ongoing dedication to her cause. The civil rights legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. also carries with it the impact and presence of Mrs. King. She was more than a wife, more than a partner for Dr. King. Mrs. King believed in the same dream of a society free of bigotry and racism as he did.”
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