Thank you, Coretta King...

Yesterday I watched the funeral of Coretta Scott King. Her body now rests-in-state at the Georgia State Capital. The funeral, with horse-drawn carriage, had all the trappings of a state funeral.

I'm thinking how much things have changed over the past four decades. When I arrived in the Deep South in the early Sixties Dr. Martin King was demonized as a Communist. Large roadside signs purported to show him at a meeting of Communists. It's no secret that many Southern whites celebrated when King was assinated in 1968.

Watching the funeral today on CNN I realized we have come a long way. The (white) Governor of Georgia was at the steps of the State Capital to officially receive the body of the late Coretta King. Back in 1968 when Dr. King was assinated Georgia Governor Lester Maddox behaved like a mean-spirited racist. There was no official recognition of King's death.

Again, we've come a long way. Thank you, Dr. King ... and thank you Coretta King. May you both rest in peace forever.

Update:

I've just heard that President Bush will be in attendance and will speak at the funeral on Tuesday. Most readers of this blog will know that I'm not a big fan of the President because of the war in Iraq. However, I'm pleased he has chosen to honor the memory of the First Lady of the Civil Rights movement. All Americans should celebrate her life.