After her graduation Williams announced at the church her engagement to Michael King (who would later change his name to Martin Luther), who she met before she left for Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Their first child, daughter Willie Christine King, was born on September 11, 1927. In spite of her relatively comfortable circumstances, my mother never complacently adjusted herself to the system of segregation, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, according to the King Institute. [18][19], Lewis V. Baldwin, The Voice of Conscience: The Church in the Mind of Martin Luther King, Jr (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010, 27), Last edited on 16 December 2022, at 16:55, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Womens International League for Peace and Freedom, "Martin Luther King's mother slain in church: From the archive, 1 July 1974", "Birth Home - Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)", "Alberta Williams King receives BA from Morris Brown College", "I Gave Marcus the Key" Dayton Daily News, July 3, 1974, pp.1, 15, "M. W. Chenault, 44, Gunman Who Killed Mother of Dr. King", The Papers of Martin Luther King Jr. Volume I: Called to Serve, January 1929-June 1951 (University of California Press, 1992) Introduction, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. (New York: Warner Book, 1998) Chapter 1 edited by Clayborne Carson, Martin Luther King, Jr., "Autobiography of Religious Development," 22 November 1950, Stanford University biography of Alberta King, African American registry article on the death of Alberta King, The King Center biography of Martin Luther King, Jr, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alberta_Williams_King&oldid=1127784363, This page was last edited on 16 December 2022, at 16:55. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Alberta King (9796)? Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Martin Luther King Sr.. Mrs. King was the churchs organist and that day she was excited about playing the new organ theyd just gotten. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'kUI3IfzERbF7kCV3YWqw9w',sig:'aUnV9vF6Gc4CiiT85cWAuGCkuG6GIEmOA-qF5_YlZrY=',w:'594px',h:'363px',items:'161992516',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); Years ago, when I first learned about Alberta Kings death and the subsequent lack of coverage it gets, my initial assumption was that it was some type of government ordered hit. When he saw his brother lying mortally wounded, he had to be restrained by others because of the shocking and overwhelming sight. Alberta Williams King followed in her mothers footsteps as a powerful presence in Ebenezers affairs. Free shipping for many products! King, Jr., maintained a close relationship with his mother throughout his life. On June 30, 1974, as Alberta played "The Lord's Prayer" during Sunday services at Ebenezer, she was shot along with a deacon of the church by a mentally deranged Marcus Chenault, a twenty-one-year old man from Ohio who claimed that "all Christians are my enemies." fbq('track', 'ViewContent', { value: 100, You see, she was a wonderful mother and wife, but a very soft spoken and shy woman. Date: June 11, 1944 Location: Simsbury, Conn. Genre: Letter Topic: Martin Luther King, Jr. - Family Details He said that [he] was a college kid who didnt know anything,, a week after Mrs. Kings murder. King Jr. with his work between 1955 and 1963 when she returned to Ebenezer. She founded the Ebenezer choir, serving as organist there for 40 years and was a member of the YWCA, NAACP and the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom. Nov. 19 In 1863, President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address as he dedicated a national cemetery at the site of the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania. Verify and try again. color:#5a5d5a; You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. He said that [he] was a college kid who didnt know anything, Israel told the New York Times a week after Mrs. Kings murder. Alberta Christine Williams was born in Atlanta, GA. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, See Martin Luther King Jr.'s Roots With These King Family Photos. But he had wanted to stay up and Alveda left him sitting in an easy chair, staring at the TV, when she went off to bed I had questions about A.D.s death and I still have them now. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; As a mother, Alberta worked diligently to instill a sense of self-respect within her three children. Chenault said that he shot King because "all Christians are my enemies," and claimed that he had decided that Black ministers were a menace to Black people. Prior to her marriage Williams was a teacher, however she was forced to quit her job because married women in Georgia were prohibited from teaching. This is a carousel with slides. And this should give you an even greater realization of the evil that men do. In contrast to his peacemaking brother, Martin, A. D. was, according to his father, "a little rough at times" and "let his toughness build a reputation throughout our neighborhood . I thought I had made it through the worst days of my life. [4] She taught for a short time before their Thanksgiving Day 1926 wedding, but she had to quit because the local school board prohibited married women from teaching. Alberta Williams King, far left, with her husband, three children, and mother, in 1939. background:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.95); He was praised by his father as an able preacher, a concerned, loving pastor. line-height:48px; Martin Luther King Sr. doubles over at the graveside of his wife, Alberta King, shortly after her death in 1974. Try again later. } Please try again later. Nov. 27 In 1973, the Senate voted 92-3 to confirm Gerald R. Ford as vice president, succeeding Spiro T. Agnew, whod resigned. li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:hover, li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:focus, Screenshots are considered by the King Estate a violation of this notice. On August 3, 1995, he suffered a stroke, and was taken to a hospital, where he died of complications from his stroke on August 19, at age 44. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta_Williams_King, Alfred Daniel A.D. King The Brother to the Dream. Though soft-spoken and reserved and most comfortable out of the spotlight Alberta King also offered support to her son as his national prominence grew in the 1950s and 1960s. He was married on June 17, 1950, to Naomi Ruth Barber (born 1932), with whom he had five children: Alveda, Alfred II (d), Derek I, Darlene (d), and Vernon (19602009). Her 8 siblings are Joanne Surrette, Bryne McDonell, Allen McDonell (deceased), Linda Blois, Clyde McDonell, Paul McDonell, Patty Smith, and Theresa Boutlier. }@media screen and (max-width: 768px){body,p{ She then enrolled in Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute (now Hampton University), where she obtained her teaching certificate in March of 1924. Martin Luther King Srs graduation photo, taken upon earning his degree from Morehouse College in 1930. .slider-wrapper .flex-slider .fs-caption-overlay{ On June 30, 1974, Alberta King was killed at 69 years young. Chenault was sentenced to death; although this sentence was upheld on appeal, he was later resentenced to life in prison, partially as a result of the King familys opposition to the death penalty. The King family later moved to a large yellow brick house three blocks away. Weve got to carry on, King Sr. said, referring to the civil rights fight his sons fought. } Chenault stated that he shot King because all Christians are my enemies, and claimed that he had decided that black ministers were a menace to black people. She was shot and killed in the church by 23-year-old Black Hebrew Israelite Marcus Wayne Chenault six years after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.[1], Alberta Christine Williams was born on September 13, 1904. Mother of assassinated civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., school teacher, music director for many years at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta and the church's organist from 1932-1972. } Chenault followed the tenants of the Black Hebrew Israelites, particularly the teachings of the Rev. Alberta Christine Williams King (September 13, 1904 - June 30, 1974) was Martin Luther King Jr.'s mother, married to Martin Luther King Sr. She played a significant role in the affairs of the Ebenezer Baptist Church.She was shot and killed in the church by 23-year-old Black Hebrew Israelite Marcus Wayne Chenault six years after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. [1] The cause of his death was listed as an accidental drowning. .simplesocialbuttons.simplesocialbuttons_inline.simplesocial-simple-round button{ li.social-icon ul li a,ul.single-social-icon li a i{ And on that fateful day in 1974, shed lose her own life to a gunman. Tragically, during a Sunday service on June 30, 1974, just as she finished playing The Lords prayer on the organ at Ebenezer and while the congregation prepared for prayer, an assassin, standing on a pew near the front of the church, went to the pulpit, faced the choir, and pulled out a gun and opened fire. Im going to kill everyone in here! The gunman reportedly cried as members of the church piled on him. Mrs. King was Ebenezers organist (1932-1972), the organizer and president of Ebenezer Womens Committee (1950 1962), organist for the Womens Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention (1950 1962), and active in the organizations: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Womens International League for Peace and Freedom, and Young Womens Christian Association (YWCA). .footer-wrapper .footer-copyright{ letter-spacing:0.7px; He was pronounced dead one hour later. Alfred Daniel Williams King (July 30, 1930 July 21, 1969), known as A. D. King, was the younger brother of Martin Luther King, Jr., the famed leader of the American Civil Rights Movement. [6] In 1980 the home was designated a National Historic Site by Congress. Shortly after completing school the couple announced their engagement at Ebenezer. memorial page for William E King (30 Mar 1932-26 Feb 2023), Find a Grave Memorial ID 249977197, citing Greenwood Cemetery, Wheeling . placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', line-height:22px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#606060; . African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, https://www.atlantamagazine.com/civilrights/the-murder-of-alberta-king/, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/01/martin-luther-kings-mother-slain-in-church-1974, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/king-alberta-williams, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. Work between 1955 and 1963 when she returned to Ebenezer i had made it through the worst days my! King was killed at 69 years young a National Historic Site by.... S ).footer-wrapper.footer-copyright { letter-spacing:0.7px ; he was pronounced dead one hour later, Alberta King, born. The civil rights fight his sons fought. Alberta King, was born on 11! 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