Vintage Photo of the Week

Usually, when we see photos of the late Coretta Scott King, she's either at an event, giving a speech or by the side of her husband, the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. . So, seeing this photo of her singing is a treat!

Not many people know that prior to marrying the Rev. Dr. King and becoming a civil rights activist, Mrs. King was an accomplished singer, earning a scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She also used her talent to raise money for the Civil Rights Movement:

In December 1956 she performed a concert in New York as a fundraiser for the Montgomery Improvement Association that became a model for the Freedom Concerts that later took place. King mixed narration, poetry, and music to recount the story of the boycott. She continued to perform these concerts over the rest of her life, later adapting the model for such special occasions as the annual commemorative service that takes place in Atlanta on the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday holiday. (Source: The New Georgia Encyclopedia)

Enjoy!