In 1986, Coretta Scott King, the late wife of renowned civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., and a prominent civil rights activist in her own right, wrote a nine-page statement opposing the nomination of Jeff Sessions to a federal district court judgeship. She focused on Sessions’ targetting of voting rights champions, and Dr. King’s colleagues Spencer Hogue, Albert Turner, and Evelyn Turner. This letter was part of documentary materials included in the report LDF submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee calling on the Senate to vote to reject the confirmation of Senator Sessions to be Attorney General of the United States.
Mrs. King wrote:
“I do not believe Jefferson Sessions possesses the requisite judgment, competence and sensitivity to the rights guaranteed by the federal civil rights laws to qualify for appointment to the federal district court. Based on his record, I believe that his confirmation would have a devastating effect, not only on the judicial system in Alabama, but also on the progress we have made everywhere toward fulfilling my husband’s dream that he envisioned over 20 years ago.”
Read Coretta Scott King’s full letter here.
