ABOUT THIS BOOK

Desert Rose offers an intimate portrait of Coretta Scott King through the eyes of her sister, Edythe Scott Bagley, illuminating the formative experiences that shaped Coretta’s lifelong commitment to justice. From her upbringing in Alabama’s Black Belt to her role as a civil rights icon and global activist, this compelling biography reveals the depth of Coretta’s courage, artistry, and devotion to equality. Bagley’s heartfelt narrative honors a legacy of resilience, love, and leadership that continues to inspire generations.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Edythe Scott Bagley, education pioneer, activist, and sister of Coretta Scott King, was born and raised just north of Marion, Alabama. She enrolled at Antioch College in 1943, becoming the first African American student. Bagley earned an MA in English from Columbia University and an MFA in theatre arts from Boston University. She taught at Albany State College in Georgia and Norfolk State University in Virginia, and in 1971 joined the faculty of Cheyney State College, where she was the leading force behind establishing the theatre and arts major.

Bagley served as an active member of the board of directors for the Atlanta-based King Center from its founding in 1968. She also represented her sister as a speaker and made radio and television appearances on behalf of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. She passed away in June of 2011.

REVIEWS

“Desert Rose is a must-read for anyone interested in learning about the first family of the Civil Rights Movement. This book offers an insightful look at the life of Coretta Scott King, and by default the life of Dr. King, from a unique and rare perspective. It provides an excellent ground-level view of African American life in Perry County and in Alabama’s Black Belt.”
—Hasan Kwame Jeffries, author of Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt

“Coretta Scott King, like so many women during the Civil Rights Movement, has never gotten her just due other than being Mrs. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But her work and leadership was just as instrumental in advancing the cause of Black folk. Desert Rose puts the light on Coretta and her family, and allows us to revel in the courageous work of a remarkable family, and definitely a strong and fearless woman like Coretta Scott King.”
—Roland S. Martin, nationally syndicated columnist and author of Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America

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“Desert Rose provides a useful window into the lives of Edythe Scott Bagley and her sister, Coretta Scott King. Illuminating African American middle-class life in Black Belt Alabama at the turn of twentieth century, the author takes us behind the scenes where readers can see the toll civil rights activism took on the King family, both immediate and extended.”

—Andrew Manis, author of A Fire You Can’t Put Out: The Civil Rights Life of Birmingham’s Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth

“It is difficult to think of a person more qualified to write a biography of Coretta Scott King than her older sister, Edythe S. Bagley. An accomplished scholar and writer, Bagley creates in Desert Rose: The Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King, a portrait not just of her younger sister who grew up to play a large role in the nation’s history, but of the family that produced and nurtured Coretta and sent her proudly out into the world to assume her rightful place. As scholars and historians begin to do the necessary work on the life of Mrs. King and her unique individual contributions to progressive movements in this country—both before and after the death of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—they will find in Desert Rose a loving portrait, filled with anecdotes, family stories, historical footnotes, and memories only a sister could provide. For those who want a closer look at an extraordinary woman, Desert Rose: The Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King will provide that intimate glance with great affection, deep understanding, and amazing grace.”
—Pearl Cleage, author of Till You Hear From Me and the play A Song for Coretta

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“Desert Rose is a masterfully conceived, carefully crafted, and richly insightful work. The perspective it provides on Coretta Scott King is rather unique, quite necessary, and helpful.”
—Journal of Southern Religion

“Beginning at slavery, Bagley travels through time, chronicling not only her sister’s story, but the story of an entire race. This book traces a journey that’s spans from the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation to the signing of the legislation for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday. Coretta Scott King served as an unwavering partner and supporter to her husband during the Civil Rights movement.”
—Afro American Newspaper

“Lovingly written by her older sister, [readers of] Coretta Scott King’s biography . . . get to know a graceful, strong woman who greatly appreciated the arts . . . Essential.”
—Choice

"King, a woman of promise and great distinction, comes alive in her sister’s words. Further education would be my opportunity to continue to fight for social justice, through awareness, affirmation and action—to develop a program that empowers youth with multicultural competency and insights as they try to shape their worldview, just as Coretta Scott King empowered me.”
—National Catholic Reporter

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

I. Soil

1. Slavery

2. Scotts and McMurrys

3. Perry County

II. Seed

4. Parents

5. A Black Man in a White Man's World

6. Opposition

III. Bud

7. Crossroads School

8. Lincoln School

9. Antioch College

10. Becoming Coretta

11. Progressive

12. Graduation

13. Boston

14. Martin

15. Marriage

IV. Blossom

16. Montgomery

17. The Bus

18. Boycott

19. Christmas 1955

20. Bombing

21. Staying

22. Southern Christian Leadership Conference

23. Atlanta

24. Albany

25. Birmingham

26. Fire Hoses . . . and Dogs

27. Bombs

28. Washington, D.C.

29. Sixteenth Street Baptist Church

30. St. Augustine

31. Selma

32. Freedom Concerts

33. Watts

34. 1966

35. Memphis

V. Fruit

36. April 4, 1968

37. Friday

38. Memphis March

39. The Funeral

40. Finishing Martin's Business

41. 1969

42. Coretta's Agenda

43. Building the King Center

44. Sweet Auburn and the Historic Site

45. The United Nations and Apartheid

46. The Holiday

47. Coretta and Atlanta's Creative Community

48. Coretta

Afterword

Notes

Additional Reading

Works Cited

Index

Photographs follow page 000 and 000