Coretta Scott King - Soprano

"It doesn't matter how strong your opinions are. If you don't use your power for positive change, you are, indeed, part of the problem.

Did you know Coretta Scott King was not only an activist during the Civil Rights Movement but also an opera singer? During her last two years of high school, she performed as the lead soprano for her school's chorus and also played trumpet and violin.

After high school, Mrs. King received a scholarship to attend New England Conservatory and received a degree in voice and music education. It was in Boston where she met her future husband Martin Luther King Jr. They announced their engagement on February 14, 1953, and married later that same year. Shortly after, the couple moved to Montgomery, Alabama.

After moving to Alabama, she continued to perform concerts. It was not until her fourth child was born, that she realized she could not continue to balance a music concert career and the responsibilities to her family. As her husband grew in popularity, she supported him by including music in a variety of his speaking engagements and activist campaigns during the Civil Rights Movement.