Alberta King (1904-1974) was a pillar of her Atlanta community, and a teacher to the next generation. Her wisdom laid the foundation for the activism of one of the most renowned civil rights leaders of the 1960s: her son, Martin Luther King Jr.
Alberta King (1904-1974) was a pillar of her Atlanta community, and a teacher to the next generation. Her wisdom laid the foundation for the activism of one of the most renowned civil rights leaders of the 1960s: her son, Martin Luther King Jr.
While motherhood can take many forms, to mother is to usher forth new generations through care, work and imagination. For the entire month of December, we’re celebrating mothers — including those who raised children who went on to lead the civil rights movement and school desegregation efforts, such as Alberta King and Louise Little, as well as mothers of movements like Lorena Borjas who started the Latinx trans movement. All of the women featured this month were dedicated to the survival of children in their work and to imagining better futures for the next generation.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, Abbey Delk, and Alex Jhamb Burns. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.
Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.
Follow Wonder Media Network:
Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I'm Anna Malaika Tubbs, the author of The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of MLK, Malcom X and James Baldwin Shaped A Nation. My work focuses on motherhood, through the lens of feminism, intersectionality, and inclusivity, and I’ll be your guest host for this month of Womanica.
This month, we’re talking about mothers: women who ushered forth new generations and new futures through their care, work, and imagination.
Today, we’re talking about a woman who was a pillar of her Atlanta community, and a teacher to the next generation. Her wisdom laid the foundation for the activism of one of the most renowned civil rights leaders of the 1960s: her son, Martin Luther King Jr.
Let’s talk about Alberta King.
Alberta was born on September 13th, 1903, in Atlanta, Georgia. She was raised in an upper-class, Black community: Her Black neighbors owned their homes; She regularly frequented Black-owned businesses; And she went to all-Black schools. But racism was still powerfully present in the family’s life. Alberta’s parents were well-known leaders and activists in their community. Her father, Adam Daniel Williams, was the pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. He was also one of the founders of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP.
As a child, Alberta was a talented musician, she would play the piano for hours on end, filling the home with music. Alberta also had dreams of being a teacher, and as a teenager, she enrolled at Spelman Seminary to make that dream a reality.
While she was still in school, Alberta met Michael King, a shy, young minister who was still working on finishing his high school education. It took Michael nearly a year to work up the nerve to talk to her – but after he did, they began dating.
Alberta’s parents warned her not to lose sight of her educational goals. So, she moved to Virginia to study at the Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute, and eventually received her teaching certificate. After graduation, she spent some time working as a teacher.
On Thanksgiving day, 1926, Alberta and Michael were married, and moved into the upstairs bedroom of Alberta’s family home. The couple was happy and in love, but the marriage meant Alberta had to say goodbye to her dream of being a teacher. At the time, there was a marriage bar, which severely limited married women from seeking employment. Instead of working as a teacher officially, she found other uses for her skills and education., Alberta began teaching music. She also - tutored her husband, Michael, as he worked toward his college degree.
In 1931, Alberta’s father died of a stroke, and Michael and Alberta became the new leaders of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Michael took over as the church’s head pastor. He also started going by Martin Luther around this time. Alberta established and directed the church’s choir, and played the organ. She became an important fixture of the church, and the growing congregation started calling her ‘Mama King’ affectionately.
Outside of the church, Alberta found other ways to pour into her community. She became an active member of the NAACP, the YWCA , and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. In all of these pursuits, she was focused on fighting for the freedom of the most marginalized. She also continued pursuing her education, and earned a bachelor’s degree from Morris Brown college in 1938.
And at home, she was hard at work raising her three children: Christine, Martin, and A.D. In the King household, family dinners were mandatory. At the dinner table, Alberta often taught her children about the history of systemic racism in the United States, and the importance of fighting against injustice. She would remind her children that they were as good as anyone.
Just like the members of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Alberta’s children often relied on her to care for them and guide their decisions. When her son Martin left home as a teenager, he sent her letters frequently. He wrote to update her on his plans, ask for her advice on what he should do next, and – in typical teenage fashion -- ask her to send him food.
Alberta’s daughter Christine later said that her mother’s wisdom had a big hand in shaping Martin Luther King Jr. into the activist he was. “They think [Martin] simply happened, that he appeared fully formed, without context, ready to change the world. Take it from his sister, that is simply not the case.”
Beyond raising her own children, Alberta remained a mother to her entire community, pushing forward the Black freedom movement. In 1957, she was named ‘Mother of the Year’ by the Atlanta daily world newspaper.
In 1968, after her son Martin was assassinated, she offered support to a community wracked by grief. Alberta’s husband later wrote that she “never neglected to be available to others in the family who needed her.” A year later, her second son A.D. drowned in a swimming pool. Again, Alberta worked to ensure that the rest of her family and larger community would make it through. She continued to work in activist organizations and in her church.
Then, one Sunday morning in 1974, Alberta drove to Ebenezer Baptist Church and, like usual, sat down at the organ to play during the service. As she finished playing “The Lord’s Prayer,” a young man stood up, shouted, and started shooting at members of the congregation. He claimed Christians were his enemies. Alberta died that day, at age 70.
There were two big events held in Alberta’s honor – one at the chapel of Spelman college, and the other at Ebenezer Baptist. Well-wishers overflowed at both – many of whom she had taught and mentored. Her obituary said that she “immortalized herself through her students.” Today, Alberta’s teachings live on in the legacy of nonviolent resistance that her son, Martin Luther King Jr. championed more than fifty years ago.
All month, we’re talking about mothers. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to co-creators Jenny and Liz Kaplan, for having me as a guest host.
Talk to you tomorrow!