Death of Coretta Scott King

Coretta Scott King died on January 30, 2006, at age 78, in Rosarito, Mexico, where she had been receiving treatment at an alternative medicine clinic for complications related to ovarian cancer, compounded by the effects of a stroke and heart attack she had suffered in 2005.

Her death marked the end of an extraordinary life devoted to civil rights, nonviolence, women's rights, and economic justice, spanning more than five decades of activism. From her early days supporting the Montgomery Bus Boycott to founding The King Center and leading global human rights initiatives, Coretta had become one of the most respected voices in the American social justice tradition.

Following her death, an outpouring of national and international grief ensued. She was honored in numerous memorial services, culminating in her historic lying in honor at the Georgia State Capitol, a tribute reflecting her unparalleled contributions to American civil rights history.

Coretta Scott King's death was mourned by presidents, civil rights leaders, and ordinary citizens alike, with tributes emphasizing not only her role as Martin Luther King Jr.'s widow but her independent legacy as "the First Lady of the Civil Rights Movement." Her passing prompted renewed reflection on the unfinished work of racial and economic justice that she had championed throughout her life, and cemented her status as an icon of American history in her own right.