Relative of Dr. King To Headline MLK Ceremony in Aurora
In celebration of the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Naomi King, the sister-in-law of Dr. King, will return to Aurora to share her personal memories of Dr. King and Mrs. Coretta Scott King.
The 2018 MLK Commemoration — Remembering Martin — will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15, at West Aurora High School, 1201 W. New York Street.
Naomi King (left) married A.D. King (center), the brother of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King (right), in 1950.
Hosted by the city of Aurora and the Aurora MLK Committee, the ceremony will feature performances by Aurora students, honor residents who participate in the annual MLK Day of Service, recognize student-leaders with the Mayor’s Service Above Self Awards and offer personal insights into the King family from Naomi King.
“This year, we commemorate what would have been the 89th birthday of Dr. King in January and what will be the 50th anniversary of his assassination in April,” said Mayor Richard Irvin. “It is an honor to have one of his close relatives with us to share her personal stories. We are looking forward to hosting Mrs. King in Aurora.”
Born in Dothan, Alabama in 1931, Naomi Ruth Barber King moved to Atlanta in her teen years. She joined Ebenezer Baptist Church under the pastorate of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. She became friends with the King children and caught the eye of their youngest son, A.D.
In 1949, King entered Spelman College, where she spent a year studying French before marrying the the Rev. A.D. King in 1950.
Together, she and her husband led churches in the south and supported Martin Luther King, Jr., from the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 to his fateful trip to Memphis in 1968, when he was assassinated. The Rev. A.D. King and Naomi King were often targeted because of their support of Dr. King, including their home being destroyed by a firebomb in 1963.
Today, she is an author and motivational speaker who travels the world empowering communities and sharing personal stories of the King family. Mrs. King has published the story of her life, titled, “A.D. and M.L. King: Two Brothers Who Dared to Dream.”
The 2018 MLK Day Commemoration is free and open to the public.
SOURCE: city of Aurora news release
About The City of Aurora
Located 35 miles west of Chicago, Aurora is the second largest city in Illinois, with a population of 200,456. Aurora is known as the “City of Lights” because it was one of the first in the nation to illuminate its streets with electric lights. Situated along the Fox River and the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (Interstate 88), the city extends 46 square miles, encompassing Kane, DuPage, Kendall and Will counties. Aurora is home to six public school districts and seven townships. For the latest news, access to an archive of past news releases or to follow the city on Facebook or Twitter, visit the city’s website at www.aurora-il.org.
