Photograph: Alberta and Martin Luther King Sr., Courtesy of Jim Peppler Collection, Alabama Department of Archives and History. On June 30, 1974, Alberta King was killed at 69 years young. After graduating, she announced her engagement to King at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Birth Place: Atlanta, Georgia. Alberta Christine Williams King (September 13, 1904 - June 30, 1974) was Martin Luther King, Jr. 's mother and the wife of Martin Luther King, Sr. She played a significant role in the affairs of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. During his arraignment in court, Chenault blamed his murderous actions on a split personality- a Hebrew he called Servant Jacob. When asked about the shooting, Chenault said Im a Hebrew and was sent here on a mission and its partially accomplished. When Mrs. Kings husband, Martin Luther King, Sr., asked Chenault why he killed her, he replied: Because she was a Christian and all Christians are my enemies. Chenault also claimed that months prior to the shooting, hed determined that Black ministers were a menace to black people and must be killed.. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). King to Alberta Williams King, 18 June 1944, in Papers 1:115116. } Next to First Road paralleling Jonesboro Road, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9796/alberta-christine-king. 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. Nov. 21 n 1995, the presidents of three rival Balkan states agreed to make peace in Bosnia, ending nearly four years of terror and ethnic bloodletting that have left a quarter of a million people dead in the worst war in Europe since World War II, Nov. 22 In 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Nov. 24 In 1963, Jack Ruby shot and mortally wounded. The family of the Rev. Although her soft-spoken nature compelled her to avoid the publicity that accompanied her son's international renown, she remained a constant source of strength to the King family, especially after King, Jr. was assassinated. In 1974, as she played the organ during Sunday services at Ebenezer, Alberta Williams King was shot by Marcus Chenault, a 21-year-old man from Ohio who claimed, All Christians are my enemies (Atlanta: Another King Killed). Alberta was the daughter of Robert and Greta McDonell. Nov. 28 In 1943, President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin met in Tehran during World War II. mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', Read These Inspired Quotes From The Late Coretta Scott King. }} Region. Alberta Williams King's legacy is deeply woven in the fabric of what makes Atlanta, Atlanta. Mrs. Kings death just six years after her sons was yet another blow to the King family and those who knew them. Alberta Christine Williams King (September 13, 1904 - June 30, 1974) was Martin Luther King, Jr.'s mother and the wife of Martin Luther King, Sr. . Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Alberta King (9796)? Try again later. Before attending Hampton, she met a young minister named Michael King (later Martin Luther King, Sr.) whom described Alberta as being "poised, gentle, an accomplished musician, scholarly." The New York Times reported that Chenault told the police that his mission was to kill the Rev. Block by Block: Stories from the streets that connect us, 2020 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Designer Showhouse, DINES: A Taste of the Citys Best Restaurants, In The Movement Made Us, a father and son grapple with the generational impact of civil rights activism, As he turns 90, Andrew Young reflects on his life in Atlanta, Eby Marshall Slack, an original staffer at Atlantas iconic Paschals restaurant, on building community, The birds stopped singing: Inside the battle for Atlantas South River Forest, Feel the Yeppa: A new Buckhead restaurant combines Italian dishes, coffee, and Formula One racing, Videos: Mayor Bottoms, Killer Mike, Bernice King give passionate speeches during protests, The scent of water: Searching for hidden springs in downtown Atlanta, Hell and high water: A harrowing journey from Myanmar to Clarkston, Georgia. AtlantaFi. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Because the local school board at the time did not allow married women in the classroom, King taught only briefly before her marriage at Ebenezer on Thanksgiving Day 1926. Born on Sept. 13, 1903, in Atlanta, Georgia, Alberta Christine Williams spent her early life deeply involved in the church. Im gonna find out who did it, he told someone on the phone, within hearing distance of his daughter Alveda. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, See Martin Luther King Jr.'s Roots With These King Family Photos. Please try again later. On June 30, 1974, six years after her son, Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, Alberta King was assassinated at Ebenezer Baptist Church by Marcus Wayne Chenault, a 23-year-old black Hebrew Israelite. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Theres no question. She continued her studies at Morris Brown College, receiving a BA in 1938. Alberta Kings mother died on May 18, 1941, of a heart attack. [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. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? West Virginia. font-size:14px; How MLK's Mother Influenced His Thinking Her actions and efforts at Ebenezer Baptist church were a significant but usually overlooked part of the civil rights campaign. A deacon who witnessed the shooting said that Mrs. King exclaimed Oh! after the blast and that he saw Chenault. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital color:#f4c85e; [2] Her parents were Reverend Adam Daniel Williams, at the time preacher of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and Jennie Celeste (Parks) Williams. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Year should not be greater than current year. Alberta Williams King was born on September 13 1904, in Atlanta, to Adam Daniel Williams and Jennie Williams. There was a throng of onlookers. There was never a clear motive as to why Chenault killed Mrs. King, although it is public record that during his trial he said, All Christians are my enemies. It was also brought out that Chenault, an African-American, sought to kill other black members of the clergy, as he saw them as a threat. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. In one letter, he said, Mother Dear, one day Im going to turn this world upside down.. Despite her new role as a wife and church mother, she continued to further her education at Morris Brown College, receiving a BA from the Atlanta school in 1938. h3.view{background:#0e0e0e;} .upcoming-events li span { And Alberta King would make sure to educate her children about the racially-divided world they lived in. She was shot and killed in the church six years after the . King Sr. gave her the nickname upon her return from college, shortening bunch-of-goodness to just Bunch. They were married in 1926. Although they enjoyed living in the city, they both decided they wanted to spend some time in a more rural area. She and Michael had three children together Willie Christine, Martin (born Michael), and Alfred Daniel in the Atlanta home where King had grown up. He shot her again. I thought I had made it through the worst days of my life. The love story of King Sr. and Alberta King began on "Sweet" Auburn Avenue. According to testimony from the trial, Chenault, who was seated about 4 feet from the organ, fired his gun at Mrs. King. Alberta received her education in Atlanta and attended high school at Spelman Seminary (now Spelman College). Alberta Williams King, far left, with her husband, three children, and mother, in 1939. [1], Alberta King was interred at the South-View Cemetery in Atlanta. King was in Memphis to lead a march in support of the local sanitation workers' union. She then enrolled in Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute (now Hampton University), where she obtained her teaching certificate in March of 1924. While there, King continued to fight for civil rights and was successful in a 1968 campaign for an open housing ordinance. He was pronounced dead one hour later. Although Chenaults lawyers pleaded insanitythe young man repeatedly said he was on a mission to kill all Christianshe was given a death sentence. [13] Chenault's mentor, Hananiah Israel of Cincinnati, castigated Black civil rights activists and Black church leaders as being evil and deceptive, but claimed in interviews not to have advocated violence. In addition to raising her three children, she worked with the Young Womens Christian Association (YWCA), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom. letter-spacing:0.7px; Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. She gave birth to three children, Willie Christine, Martin and Alfred. Alberta King was shot and killed on June 30, 1974, aged 69, by Marcus Wayne Chenault, a 23-year-old Black man from Ohio who had adopted the theology of the Black Hebrew Israelites. King, Jr., maintained a close relationship with his mother throughout his life. .page blockquote{ .archive-title, .page-title, li.sl-related-thumbnail h3, .multipage-links span{ But you would have to be a fool to not see what was going on then and STILL going on today. As she later described the scene: There were people everywhere. In August, after a bomb exploded at the home of a prominent black lawyer in downtown Birmingham, outraged citizens, intent on revenge, poured into the city streets. Introduction, in Papers 1:1, 7, 13, 1819, 2430. Add to your scrapbook. On August 19, he died aged 44 from complications from his stroke. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. For the last part of his life, he was afflicted by alcohol and depression. Why did he drown? display: block; } Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Her youngest. Alberta Williams King was born on September 13, 1904 (died on June 30, 1974, she was 69 years old) in Atlanta, Georgia as Alberta Christine Williams. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. Here he played a key role and was arrested multiple times. }.footer-wrapper { He said his original target had been Martin Luther King, Sr., but he had decided to shoot his wife instead because she was close to him. He also killed one of the church's deacons, Edward Boykin, in the attack and wounded retired schoolteacher Jimmie Mitchell in the neck. They looked up to see a young black man standing on a pew near the front of the church. value: 100, Try again later. The cause of his death was listed as an accidental drowning. .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover{ [12], King and Boykin were rushed to the nearby Grady Memorial Hospital. Michael Luther King Jr. followed on January 15, 1929, then Alfred Daniel Williams King I, named after his grandfather, on July 30, 1930. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Just 6 years prior in 1968, Mrs. Kings son, MLK Jr., was assassinated and the very next year, her other son, Rev. Oops, we were unable to send the email. When they pulled the body out, they began to pump his chest, but no water came out. [8] About this time, Michael King changed his name to Martin Luther King Sr.[9], Alberta King worked hard to instill self-respect into her children. "She was just a remarkable human being," her grandson Martin Luther King III said. Research genealogy for Alberta williams king of Albany Georgia, as well as other members of the king family, on Ancestry. Screenshots are considered by the King Estate a violation of this notice. There was no water in his lungs. Weve updated the security on the site. [10], King founded the Ebenezer choir and served as church organist from 1932 to 1972. [4], After their wedding the newly married couple moved into an upstairs bedroom at the Williams's family home, which is where all three of their children were subsequently born. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. History is not meant to serve US. 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. But now we have people such as myself, and a lot of you who will see the stories and spread them so they dont get swept before thousands and sometime millions see them. He had a bruised forehead. There are several reasons for that, which well get to in a minute, but first, here are the details of what happened to Mrs. King. And he was in his underwear. border-left: 5px solid #f4c85e; .widget .search-submit, .th_more_posts a#more_posts, .slider-post-content .read-more-slider a:hover, .widget .search-submit, .search .search-submit, #commentform #commentSubmit, ul.paging li a{ background:#111; NAACP director, Roy Wilkins, expresses sadness at death of Alberta King, Martin Luther Kings Mother. Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter Bernice King, for instance, leads the King Center, an organization launched by his late wife Coretta Scott King. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. During the commotion, King said that Chenault took aim at Mrs. King again, who was on the floor screaming and bleeding. They killed my brother. The King family later moved to a large yellow brick house three blocks away. One of the churchs deacons, Edward Boykin, was also killed in the attack, and a woman was wounded. Years later Ebenezer dedicated it's new pipe organ in their new sanctuary across the street in honor for her passion for beautiful worship music. In a piece he wrote as a student at Crozier Seminary, he described his mother as being "behind the scene setting forth those motherly cares, the lack of which leaves a missiing link in life." Then she said the words that almost every Negro hears before he can yet understand the injustice that makes them necessary: You are as good as anyone. At this time Mother had no idea that the little boy in her arms would years later be involved in a struggle against the system she was speaking of.. Their first child, daughter Willie Christine King, was born on September 11, 1927. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. [1] Officials announced King was "barely alive" when she arrived at the hospital. border-color:#f4c85e; [15], Chenault was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. [5] The King family lived in the home until King's mother's death from a heart attack in 1941, when Martin Jr. turned 12 years old. They moved into Williams home on Auburn Avenue and stayed in an upstairs bedroom. Among family members who witnessed Mrs. Kings shooting was her grandson, Derek Barber King. Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, was led by Alberta Kings father before it passed to her husband and son. But tragically, Alberta King and Martin Luther King Jr.s similarities didnt stop there. .format-quote blockquote, .single .format-quote blockquote, .single blockquote{ PureHistory.org is your source to learn about the broad and beautiful spectrum of our shared History. 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. In addition to the choir, Alberta would also serve as the organizer and president of the Ebenezer Women's Committee from 1950 to 1962. He was praised by his father as an able preacher, a concerned, loving pastor. [4] She was also active in the YWCA, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom.[4]. In 1980, Martin Luther King Sr. published the memoir Daddy King: An Autobiography, a work that provided new insight into his lifeand the family world that created Martin Luther King Jr. After being out of print for nearly two decades, Daddy King was re-released this week, in time for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. King was in Memphis to lead a march in support of the local sanitation workers union. All I had to give him was the key to open his mind.. By the time he earned his degree, he had three children and was next in line to take the pulpit at Ebenezer Baptist Church. His father, Martin Luther King, Sr., said in his autobiography, Alveda had been up the night before, she said, talking with her father and watching a television movie with him. On June 30, 1974, a religious extremist arrived from Ohio and took a taxicab to Ebenezer Church. Rings around his neck. .page-template-magazine-template.page .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper a#pull:before { } Martin Luther King Jr. and the wife of the Rev. line-height:48px; As Martin Luther King Jr. and his siblings grew up, King continued to set examples for them in other ways. A.D. was most involved in the civil rights activities during the Birmingham riots. This is a carousel with slides. *Alberta Williams King was born on this date in 1904. All Rights Reserved. A.D. Williams sudden death in the spring of 1931, King, Sr. who had been assistant pastor succeeded his father-in-law as Ebenezer's pastor and changed his name to Martin Luther King. Along the way, however, she met a minister named Michael King. King Sr. gave her the nickname upon her return from college, shortening "bunch-of-goodness" to just "Bunch." They .