Honoring Coretta Scott King ’54, ’71 hon. DM with a Special Tribute Concert
On March 8, the NEC community will come together to celebrate the life and legacy of Coretta Scott King ’54, ’71 hon. DM, with a tribute concert co-curated by NEC’s Black Student Union and Castle of our Skins. This moving program will highlight King’s profound impact as an activist, musician, and NEC alumna through music, narration, and reflection.
The concert, One Soul. One Dream., is inspired by King’s own words and will center on her role as a leader, wife, mother, and global advocate for justice. Alumna Ashleigh Gordon ’08 MM, co-founder of Castle of our Skins, described the event as a way to “use [King’s] words and give her voice airtime.”
Born in Marion, Alabama in 1927, Mrs. King pursued her passion for music at Antioch College before receiving a scholarship to study at NEC where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Music Education. It was during her time in Boston that she met Martin Luther King Jr., and together, they would go on to shape the course of the Civil Rights Movement and American history.
Coretta championed women’s rights, protested against the Vietnam War, and played a pivotal role in establishing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday. Her commitment to justice extended far beyond the United States, earning her international recognition as a human rights leader. Since her passing in 2006, King’s influence remains strong as an artist who understood the transformative power of music in the fight for equality.
Castle of our Skins is a Boston-based organization co-founded in 2013 by Gordon and fellow NEC alumnus Anthony Green ’08 MM that is dedicated to celebrating Black artistry through music and centering Black voices and cultural narratives through their performances and educational initiatives.
For tickets and more information on the concert, follow the link here.
