Death of Coretta Scott King

"I visit King Memorial and saw both memorial their very ejoyable even visit the home where Martin grew up in Atlanta. The hope that GOD whole out is the resurrection hope where we can see both of them again in a new world where he can see his dream."

"MLK Weekend Corretta Scott King Tribute
This year on the MLK weekend I had the privilege of being part of the technical crew for the official events here in Atlanta. It was a long weekend on your feet or busy doing something all weekend long, yet it did not seem like enough time.

The tribute to Corretta Scott King took place on Friday night in the Ebenezer Baptist church Sunrise sanctuary (the new church). The celebrants were Bernice Johnson Reagon, Toshi Reagon, Sonia Sanchez and Valerie Jackson (the widow of the late Maynard Jackson). These women were all powerful in their own right. I was thrilled that I was fortunate enough to be in the same room with Sonia Sanchez whose poetry I had read since adolescence.

I was very concerned about doing a good job (I was being paid to work), not acting awestruck in the presence of such strong and accomplished women and remembering in the presence of everything else that I was still in church. In some ways I felt 14 again.

They arrived about an hour and a half early. All the coffee and snacks and supper arrangements were completed. Most of my work was done for a while. The technical crew were the ones on the spot now. My friend and employer Sissie's mother was singing in the performance as well. I was keeping an eye out for her.

So there I sat watching these women do their thing. Each in her own right was there as an act of friendship with Corretta Scott King as much as anything else. Bernice Johnson Reagon was a member of the Freedom Singers. She is a world renowned singer and song talker. She founded Sweet Honey in the Rock. Toshi is her daughter and a talented and acclaimed musician as well. The Reagons and Sonia Sanchez have been friends for decades. They all knew Valerie Jackson from the movement and years together on the lecture and social circuit common to them.

Sissie was coordinating the event and is a formidable woman in her own right. She had to keep the needs of the stars, sponsors and audience in mind. All the technical derails need to be perfect"