Coretta Scott King Legacy

Words: 850
Pages: 4

Franklin had Eleanor, Martin had Coretta, and Barack has Michelle. Throughout history, many famous men have enjoyed vast success beside their wives. However, while husbands are celebrated, the triumphs of wives are neglected. The achievements of women are frequently ignored due society's emphasis on male dominance and superiority. Wives especially are assumed as passive and weaker than their male counterparts. Within marriage, wives are expected to stay at home while husbands pursue the grand paycheck. However, much of their success can truly be credited to their wives as without the support of a spouse, many of these achievements could not have been obtained. Although historically wives are often less socially, economically, and politically …show more content…
Coretta Scott King remained by her husband’s side throughout the Civil Rights movement until his assassination. Even after her husband’s death, Coretta continued to fight for civil rights, founding the Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta and the Coalition of Conscience, composed of 800 human rights groups. It is Coretta Scott King who insisted upon Martin Luther King Jr. Day where every “third Monday in January, we remember not only the great man who had a dream but also his persevering wife, who pushed to make it a reality after he was gone” (McGasko). By pushing for a national holiday, Coretta Scott King guaranteed that her husband effort’s and the fight for Civil Rights would go unforgotten. While Coretta Scott King is often unmentioned every January, she is largely responsible for the extent of her husband’s legacy by continuing the Civil Rights Movement, long after his death. Coretta's efforts to memorialize her husband caused him to be viewed as a national hero, showing her immense impact on his legacy and …show more content…
Clinton attended campaign strategies in Arkansas, helping her husband journey towards the presidency. Alice M. Rivlin, a White House budget director later noted, “I think for a good part of his career, he was probably rescued by Hillary by her being a more decisive, more disciplined kind of person who kept things moving” (qtd. in Baker and Chozik). Hillary played a huge part in her husband’s presidency, helping her husband run by taking active roles in the White House, even holding an office in the West Wing. After his presidency went haywire following the Lewinsky scandal, she even helped keep Bill in office by rallying for Democratic support against impeachment. Hillary Clinton aided her husband from the beginning of his campaign to the end of his presidency, demonstrating large impact over her husband’s political journey. While the spotlight was focused on Bill, Hillary exerted vast influence over the Clinton administration, reaffirming that husbands often achieve success with the help of their