.home .navigation .menu > li > a:hover, .home .navigation ul li a:hover, .home header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:hover:after, 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. color:#f4c85e; Ill be home almost any time now, assuming that he, too, would soon be murdered, due to his vow to keep fighting for equal rights. In a paper he wrote as a student at Crozer Seminary, Martin Luther King, Jr. describes his mother as a caring, dedicated parent and a consummate housekeeper. Four years later, as a first-year student at Crozer, he wrote his mother, I met a fine chick in Phila who has gone wild over the old boy (Papers 1:161). I was wrong.. ::selection{ from Morris Brown College in 1938, and involved herself in organizations like the NAACP and the YWCA. Though Alberta Williams King is often viewed as a footnote to the Martin Luther King Jr. story, she played a crucial role in shaping her son's thinking about race in America. background:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.95); BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. That is the importance of sharing these post and stories. .magazine-single-box .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper{ Atlanta: Another King Killed, Newsweek (8 July 1974): 3334. Rebecca Burns, The Murder of Alberta King, Atlanta Magazine, June 30, 1974, https://www.atlantamagazine.com/civilrights/the-murder-of-alberta-king/; Simon Winchester, Martin Luther Kings Mother Slain in Church, The Guardian, July 1, 2014, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/01/martin-luther-kings-mother-slain-in-church-1974; King, Alberta Williams, The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute, June 1 2017, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/king-alberta-williams. }} NAACP director, Roy Wilkins, expresses sadness at death of Alberta King, Martin Luther Kings Mother. Alberta Christine Williams King (September 13, 1904 - June 30, 1974) was the mother of Martin Luther King, Jr.. . The love story of King Sr. and Alberta King began on "Sweet" Auburn Avenue. 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. margin: ; In an essay he wrote at Crozer Seminary, Martin Luther King Jr., who was always close to her, wrote that she "was behind the scenes setting forth those motherly cares, the lack of which leaves a missing link in life. How MLK's Mother Influenced His Thinking } .woocommerce-product-gallery{ opacity: 1 !important; } [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. Adam Daniel Williams and Jennie Williams in Atlanta, Georgia on September 13, 1904. } During the commotion, King said that Chenault took aim at Mrs. King again, who was on the floor screaming and bleeding. Skip Ancestry main menu Main Menu. } King was in Memphis to lead a march in support of the local sanitation workers' union. 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 . The New York Times reported that Chenault told the police that his mission was to kill the Rev. A. D. King was a Baptist minister and a civil rights activist. Learn more about managing a memorial . We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. Im gonna find out who did it, he told someone on the phone, within hearing distance of his daughter Alveda. However, it is also speculated that he died from heart problems as two of his children died young of heart attacks and one died at the age 49 of a heart attack. /*inline margin*/ 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. King Jr. with his work between 1955 and 1963 when she returned to Ebenezer. She founded the Ebenezer choir and was an organist there from 1932 to 1972. She instilled a sense of self-respect in all of her children from the very beginning.. She was also organist for the Womens Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention from 1950 to 1962, and was active in the YWCA, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom. Her brother Martin had been assassinated in Memphis six years earlier, her brother A.D. drowned a year after that. It was a Sunday and she was at their infamous Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga., which was pastored by her husband, Rev. Copyright 2021 - PureHistory.org. The King family later moved to a large yellow brick house three blocks away. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Alberta Christine Mama King Williams King I found on Findagrave.com. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Born Alberta Christine Williams in 1903; assassinated in 1974; daughter of Reverend Adam Daniels Williams, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church; married Martin Luther King, Sr. (b. He had a bruised forehead. @media screen and (max-width: 1024px){ .upcoming-events li span { While rocks were being thrown at gathering policemen and the situation escalated, A. D. King climbed on top of a parked car and shouted to the rioters in an attempt to quell their fury: My friends, we have had enough problems tonight. Mrs. King, 70, died later that day. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Alberta Williams King died later that day at the age of 70. Region. Many were crying; most had their hands pressed to their mouths in disbelief. Chenault, Jr. a then 23 year old Ohio State dropout, did something eerily reminiscent of the scene from the Malcolm X movie, when one of Xs murderers yelled Get yo hands out of my pocket before killing him. It is hidden from us so that these things can continue and it doesnt seem like a pattern. value: 100, }. The same year, he left Ebenezer Baptist to become pastor of Mount Vernon First Baptist Church in Newnan, Georgia. Indeed, Alberta King led a similar life to her son. #main-menu-wrapper nav .mega .thunk-widget-menu a:hover,#menu .mega-menu-posts a:hover, Martin Luther King Jr. credits his mother with forming his early thinking about race relations in the United States. Memorials. King's uncle, Alfred Daniel Williams King, drowned in a swimming pool when Bernice was six on July 21, 1969. To Alberta Williams King | The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute To Alberta Williams King Author: King, Martin Luther, Jr. I thought I had made it through the worst days of my life. .flex-slider .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover,.flex-slider.button-two .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover,.flex-slider.button-three .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover{color:#fff;border-color:#fff;background:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);} color:#f4c85e; Daddy was killed and put in the pool, said Alveda, who was at work when the body was discovered. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. 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. There is a problem with your email/password. 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. Mrs. Alberta Christine Williams King was 73 when she died. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. } .format-quote blockquote, .single .format-quote blockquote, .single blockquote{ A. D., however, made no effort to assume his deceased brothers role, although he did continue to be active in the Poor Peoples Campaign and in other work on behalf of SCLC. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. The Remarkable Life And Death Of Alberta Williams King, The Mother Of Martin Luther King. .post-share i.fa:hover, .footer-copyright .social-icon ul li a:hover, .header-bottom .social-icon ul li a:hover, .content .post-content .read-more a, a.more-link, ul li a:hover, #commentform #commentSubmit, ol.commentlist li .reply a, .th-widget-recent-post .th-recent-post h5 a:hover, .widget .twitter-user a, .standard-layout .format-link h2, .th_more_posts a#more_posts, .format-quote blockquote p:before, .widget .tagcloud a:hover, .content .post-content .description p a, .page-description p a, .multipage-links span, .content .navigation.post-navigation .nav-links a:hover, .content #main .pagination a:hover, .post-title h2:hover{color:#f4c85e;} } .post_pagi a i:hover{ Mrs. King was a high achiever by any standard. She taught me that I should feel a sense of somebodiness but that on the other hand I had to go out and face a system that stared me in the face every day saying you are less than, you are not equal to,' he wrote, noting that King also taught him about slavery and the Civil War and described segregation as a social condition and not a natural order., He continued, She made it clear that she opposed this system and that I must never allow it to make me feel inferior. She and Michael had three children together Willie Christine, Martin (born Michael), and Alfred Daniel in the Atlanta home where King had grown up. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) There were bewildered and in shock. During Sunday service, Mrs. King was sitting at the organ when she was struck with a bullet. He said that [he] was a college kid who didnt know anything,, a week after Mrs. Kings murder. He was a very good preacher and could have become a prominent preacher in society if it werent for the high roles his father and brother played in front of him. [17] On August 3, 1995, he suffered a stroke, and was taken to a hospital. p.192 Hed seemed unusually quietand not very interested in the film. A family portrait of the Kings, taken in 1939. He was later resentenced to life in prison, partially as a result of the King family's opposition to the death penalty. Next to First Road paralleling Jonesboro Road, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9796/alberta-christine-king. As Martin Luther King Jr. and his siblings grew up, King continued to set examples for them in other ways. There was a problem getting your location. Yeah thats a harsh assumption, but given the era she was killed and who she is, its not a far fetched assumption. Here he played a key role and was arrested multiple times. Martin Luther King Srs graduation photo, taken upon earning his degree from Morehouse College in 1930. } Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. It was because of the King family, that Chenault Jr.s life was spared. After Rev. Deeply religious, she grew up as a pastors daughter with an interest in activism. Alberta Williams King. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Introduction, in Papers 1:1, 7, 13, 1819, 2430. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Alberta King (9796)? 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] As she later described the scene: There were people everywhere. color:#fff;} He also killed one of the church's deacons, Edward Boykin, in the attack and wounded retired schoolteacher Jimmie Mitchell in the neck. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. A system error has occurred. [1] King died shortly afterward from a gunshot wound to the right of her head. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. 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. Sadly, the King familys tragedies didnt end there and Alberta Williams King would soon meet the same fate as her son. [14] Chenault did not draw any such distinction, and first decided to assassinate Rev. Oops, we were unable to send the email. color:#999; font-size:38px; King, An Autobiography of Religious Development, 12 September 195022 November 1950, in Papers 1:359363. So yeah, it wasnt a far fetched assumption to think Mrs. Alberta King was the victim of a bigger plot. 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. Just 6 years prior in 1968, Mrs. Kings son, MLK Jr., was assassinated and the very next year, her other son, Rev. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. According to testimony from the trial, Chenault, who was seated about 4 feet from the organ, fired his gun at Mrs. King. As Mrs. King began playing The Lords Prayer on their new organ, the congregation bowed their heads in prayer. But you would have to be a fool to not see what was going on then and STILL going on today. color:#494bbc; Farris eventually made her way outside. She was a remarkable human being. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. I am tired of all this! Williams met Martin L. King (then known as Michael King), whose sister Woodie was boarding with her parents, shortly before she left for Hampton. .page blockquote{ }); Copyright 2015 . As a mother, Alberta worked diligently to instill a sense of self-respect within her three children. 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. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', King, Alberta Williams (1903-1974)African-American church organist and mother of Martin Luther King, Jr. Name variations: Mama King. Alberta would serve as the organizer and president of the Ebenezer Women's Committee from 1950 to 1962. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; Though his lawyers argued he was insane, Chenault was found guilty and sentenced to death. } Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. .footer-wrapper .footer-copyright .copyright { Sr. She was just a remarkable human being, her grandson Martin Luther King III told Atlanta TV station, . Interest in activism in disbelief for Alberta Christine Mama King Williams King i found on Findagrave.com, s ) were... 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