Naomi Barber King, sister-in-law of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., died yesterday at age 92. She was the widow of the Rev. Alfred Daniel Williams King, MLK’s brother.
Naomi King married Rev. A.D. King in 1950 and faithfully stood by his side as he and his brother organized and successfully implemented nonviolent civil rights campaigns that changed the world. She endured the bombings of their Birmingham, Alabama home and one of the churches her husband pastored in Louisville, Kentucky. She continued to support Rev. A.D. King until his untimely death in 1969, which she publicly labeled as murder.
Naomi King was a strong supporter of The King Center’s founder, Coretta Scott King after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Through life’s struggles, adversity and the unexpected deaths of three of her five children, Naomi King persevered working in The King Center Bookstore, The King Center Archives, and as one of Coretta Scott King’s travel companions and assistants. As a manager of The King Center Bookstore, her presence made her an unofficial greeter and ambassador for The King Center as visitors valued her acquaintance and firsthand knowledge of the civil rights movement and the King family.
In 2008, Naomi King founded the A.D. King Foundation to keep Rev. A.D. King’s memory alive and focus on youth and women empowerment, and nonviolent social change strategies as a way of life with entrepreneurship at its core. She continued her work with youth at The King Center serving 10 years as a consistent panelist for Students with King. The students were often intrigued by her presence and were always eager to ask her personal questions about the King family and her relationship with Dr. and Mrs. King. Students with King is The King Center’s flagship initiative for kindergarten through 12th-grade students that introduces the philosophy of Kingian nonviolence and offers programs that empower teachers to introduce the King Legacy into their classrooms.
In 2014, Naomi King published a book titled “A D and ML King: Two Brothers Who Dared to Dream.”
Naomi King is survived by a daughter, Alveda King, a son, Derek King, and several grandchildren.
The King Family will announce homegoing celebration plans in the next few days.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center), a 501(c) (3) organization, was established in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King. The King Center is the official living memorial and programmatic nonprofit organization committed to educating the world on the life, legacy and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Rebecca Barnabi
