Coretta Scott King dead at 78

Bono's New Mama
Bono and Coretta Scott King, Atlanta, January 2004. Photo ©Ruth Barohn/U2log.com.

Coretta Scott King , wife of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., died on Monday, a spokesperson for the King family says. She was 78 and had been recovering at home since suffering a stroke and heart attack in August.

Flags at the King Center were lowered to half-staff on Tuesday morning.

In January 2004, when Bono was awarded for his humanitarian efforts, he praised Mrs King’s civil rights efforts and said: “I haven’t had a mom in a long time, she volunteered to be mine.” Mrs King told the audience: “This is my son.”