WHEREAS, Coretta Scott was born April 27, 1927, near Marion, Alabama to humble beginnings, walking five miles from the family farm to a one room schoolhouse and persevering in her studies, nonetheless; and
     WHEREAS, As a young woman studying on a scholarship at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, Coretta Scott met the young divinity student Martin Luther King Jr., marrying him two years later; and
     WHEREAS, As her husband Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. rose to eminence as the most influential civil rights leader in America, Coretta Scott King shared in the triumphs and difficulties of the struggle for equal rights in this country in the 1950s and 1960s, withstanding long hours, political pressures, and even fire bombings of the Kings' home; and
     WHEREAS, Coretta Scott King, devoted wife and mother, became a symbol of extraordinary grace, strength, and dignity after her husband's assassination in 1968; and
     WHEREAS, Coretta Scott King continued her husband's vital work toward equal rights for all Americans, remaining a noble public figure and an important leader in the civil rights movement, training and inspiring many thousands of civil rights activists in the use of nonviolent methods, thus opening the doors for interracial and social change across this nation; and
     WHEREAS, The scope of her influence for peace and social justice knew no boundaries as Coretta Scott King devoted the rest of her life to keeping alive the flame her husband had lit, continuing to stand up with courage and ferocity against the death penalty for juveniles and for nuclear disarmament, and leading goodwill missions to many nations around the world; and
     WHEREAS, Coretta Scott King fought successfully for the induction of the national holiday on the third Monday of each January, honoring her late husband as a day for education and lobbying for civil rights, and since the introduction of this holiday in January of 1986, it has been recognized internationally in more than one hundred countries, mightily preserving the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That Washington State mourns the death of Coretta Scott King, an inspiration to people around the world; and this state is inspired by her exemplary diligence in times of asperity as a long-time leader of social change; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for NonViolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia.