08 March 2024 , 12:01
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Naomi Barber King, civil rights activist and sister-in-law to , has reportedly died aged 92.
The King family matriarch passed away peacefully at the age of 92 in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday (March 7), according to a statement by the A.D King foundation. The King Foundation mourned over the loss of the mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and hailed her a beacon of light to all she served.
She was colloquially known as ‘The Butterfly Queen’ – as she brings beauty and joy to those around her. The celebrated civil rights activist married the younger brother of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Baptist minister Reverend Alfred Daniel Williams King, in 1950. The love-struck couple were ardent supporters of Dr King’s leadership regimes and civil rights movement.
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Naomi was dubbed the 'Butterfly Queen' by friends and family (AP)Together, she and her husband supported Dr King following Rosa Parks’ arrest for refusing to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. Naomi, known as ‘Neenie’ to her husband, was also at the scene when students in Greensboro, North Carolina, launched the sit-in movement in 1960.
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By 1963, toward the end of Dr King’s campaign in Birmingham, Alabama, a bomb destroyed the hotel he was staying. Soon after, a second destroyed Alfred and Naomi’s home.
Following Dr King’s assassination in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, her husband died an untimely death in 1969. He allegedly drowned in their home swimming pool, but the family believed that there was foul play involved. Naomi established the A.D King Foundation in 2008 – an organisation set on empowering women, youth and attempting to foster the conditions for nonviolent social change.
Naomi stood by her brother-in-law's side through major rallies and campaigns (The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)“She was a woman of quiet dignity, overcoming strength, and steadfast support to her husband, family, and circles of influence within and beyond Atlanta,” the foundation said in a statement. She became ‘First Lady’ of the churches previously led by her husband, where she served as a friend and mentor to those in the community. She was staunchly religious until the day of her passing, often giving praise to God for his “love and blessings”.
“We are comforted with the assurance that Mrs. King is now in her eternal home in the presence of her Savior, and that she was met in Heaven by her husband, A.D. King; her brother-in-law, Martin Luther King Jr; her sister-in-law, Coretta Scott King; her daughter, Darlene King; and her sons, Alfred King II and Vernon King. She is survived by her daughter, Alveda King; her son, Derek King; as well as several grandchildren,” her family said in her statement.
It comes weeks after Dr King’s youngest son, Dexter King, died at the age of 62 after a battle with prostate cancer. He was just seven years old when his father was assassinated.