Coretta Scott King and daughter Bernice at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- Photographer
- Moneta Sleet Jr., American, 1926–1996
- Depicted
- Bernice King, American, born 1963
- Date
- 1968, printed c.1970
- Material
- Gelatin silver print
- photographed in
- Atlanta, Georgia, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Photographs
- Collection
- Prints, Drawings, and Photographs
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- image: 41 1/2 in. x 30 in. (105.4 x 76.2 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of the Johnson Publishing Company
- Rights
- © Johnson Publishing Co., Inc.
- Object Number
- 453:1991
NOTES
Coretta Scott King’s sorrowful expression immediately commands the viewer’s attention in this photograph taken by Moneta Sleet Jr. at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Veiled and clothed modestly in black, Scott King evokes dignity and sadness, which Sleet sensitively shares with viewers. The powerful emotion of the photograph resonated with many Americans who mourned along with the King family. Sleet also emphasizes the Kings’ daughter Bernice who wears a white dress, a contrast to the black clothing of the other mourners. The vulnerable grief of mother and daughter increases the viewer’s sympathy for the loss of King as a leader in the civil rights movement as well as a father and husband.
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