Naomi Barber King, a civil rights activist married to the younger brother of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., passed away in Atlanta on Thursday.
She was 92.
The family issued a statement through the A.D. King Foundation, an organization Naomi established in May 2008.
“We are comforted with the assurance that Mrs. King is now in her eternal home in the presence of her Savior, and that she was met in Heaven by her husband, A.D. King; her brother-in-law, Martin Luther King Jr; her sister-in-law, Coretta Scott King; her daughter, Darlene King; and her sons, Alfred King II and Vernon King,” a statement from the foundation read.
The mourning continues…waiting for morning to come. My aunt, Naomi King, who was married to my father’s brother, Rev. A.D. Williams King, passed today. Please pray for the King family. pic.twitter.com/BK2bRkOkyC
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) March 7, 2024
The statement adds, “She was a woman of quiet dignity, overcoming strength, and steadfast support to her husband, family, and circles of influence within and beyond Atlanta.”
The organization’s mission is to “promote youth empowerment development and non-violent social change strategies as a way of life throughout the world.”
According to the foundation’s website, Naomi King was born in Dothan, Alabama, before moving to Atlanta with her mother, Bessie Barber. She attended Spelman College for a year, where she studied French, before eventually moving on to the University of Alabama to study interior design. In 1950, she married Rev. Alfred Daniel Williams King, a Baptist minister and civil rights leader. The couple had five children together. A.D. King sadly passed away in July 1969.
King lived most of her life as a mother and First Lady. She and her husband supported Martin Luther King, Jr., when Rosa Parks was arrested in 1955 for refusing to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Naomi supported her husband and the King family’s political efforts throughout their marriage.
Naomi, who unapologetically adopted the title the “Butterfly Queen,” holds awards and special recognitions, such as being the recipient of the S. C. L. C. Rosa Parks Freedom Award, Hope Worldwide Living Legend Award, A. D. King Foundation: Truth Finder Award, Principled Life Award, Zambians Freedom, Justice and Peace Award, Global Citizens Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, African Leadership Magazine and various other recognitions from an abundance of states and organizations.
She was also featured in the AARP documentary “Voices of Civil Rights” and holds NAACP, SCLC, SCLC Women, and American Bridge Association memberships.
I remember interviewing Naomi King in 2016 about an issue at her senior living complex. I was a new reporter in Atlanta and happy to have the opportunity to learn more about the King family in my daily work and in such intimate spaces. She was regal. Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/s6K8IGK70k
— Nicole Carr (@NicoleFCarr) March 7, 2024
Naomi King is also an esteemed author and published a book in 2014 titled “A.D. and ML King: Two Brothers Who Dared to Dream.”
She is survived by her daughter, Alveda King; her son, Derek King; and several grandchildren.
Instead of flowers, the family and the foundation ask the public to donate to the A.D. King Foundation here.
