“Coretta Scott,” by Ntozake Shange, paintings by Kadir Nelson
Amistad, an Imprint of Harper-Collins, 2009, 32 pages, Grades 1-3.

During the painful history of racial discrimination in the United States, heroic people have risen to show the country the path to a more just future.

In the 1800s these people were involved in the movement to abolish slavery. These abolitionists, as they were known, at great risk to themselves, helped slaves escape to Canada.

Later in the 1800s, great educational leaders such as Booker T. Washington started universities to combat the learning inequalities caused by slavery.

Building upon these advances, 20th century civil rights leaders could move to greater justice and equality. One great leader in the civil rights movement was Martin Luther King Jr. Helping Dr. King was his talented and inspiring wife, Coretta Scott King. Mrs. King was a compelling leader as well. This book tells her story.

Growing up in the segregated South, Coretta Scott walked five miles to school each day. School buses picked up rural students, but black children were not allowed to ride. So doggedly, Coretta would walk with her brother and sister to the distant school. Academically gifted, Coretta thrived in school. As well, she was a talented singer, and frequently sang in church choirs.

When she had finished high school, Miss Scott attended graduate school in Boston to study concert singing. In Boston, she met a young minister named Martin Luther King Jr. Soon they were married.

The young couple were drawn to the writings and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Nonviolent protest, according to Gandhi, will do more to change ingrained prejudice than violent acts. The freedom of India from British rule proved Gandhi’s position.

Moving back to the South in the mid-1950s, the Kings were drawn into the violent cauldron of racism that was crippling and destroying so many lives.

What did the Kings do to counter this hatred? Did Gandhi’s philosophy help the United States begin to address the problems caused by racial inequality?

How did Coretta Scott King become a leader in her own right for all people in the United States? Have you ever suffered from personal attacks or bigotry?

How did their deep faith in God always support Martin and Coretta King? How does the life of Coretta Scott King demonstrate that charity and courage can overcome malice?

To find out, go to the library and check out this beautifully illustrated book, “Coretta Scott,” by Ntozake Shange. Since so much has changed in the United States in the last 50 years, some children may find the concept of segregation difficult to understand. This book shows the process involved in this change.

Like her beautiful voice, Coretta Scott soared from humble beginnings to a height of influence. So positive were her contributions that the American Library Association named an award after her. The Coretta Scott King Award has been presented since 1970 to the book that best promotes racial equality in the United States.

The text of Ntozake Shange’s book is written as poetry. The paintings are filled with beauty and dignity. The spiritual basis of the Kings’ work can be readily seen throughout the book.

I hope you take the time to go to the library and check out this title. Coretta Scott King is an important figure in American history, and this book helps tell her inspirational story.

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