Coretta Scott King, the widow of civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., implored Congress to block Jeff Sessions’ 1986 nomination for federal judge.
Scott King’s emotional letter condemned Sessions, saying his federal appointment would “irreparably damage the work” of Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated in 1968 after leading a years-long movement for equal rights for African Americans.
“The irony of Mr. Sessions’ nomination is that, if confirmed, he will be given a life tenure for doing with a federal prosecution what the local sheriffs accomplished twenty years ago with clubs and cattle prods,” King wrote.
The 1986 letter resurfaces after the first day of Sessions’ confirmation hearing to become attorney general under Trump.
“Thirty years ago, the Senate rejected Sessions’ appointment to a federal judgeship because he was deemed too extreme then,” Democratic National Committee chairwoman Donna Brazile said in a statement Tuesday morning. “If they confirm him now, Republicans will be turning back the clock on all the progress we’ve made as a nation.”
Read her full nine-page 1986 letter that was previously unavailable to the public, as it was not entered into the congressional record, below.
Scott King 1986 Letter and Testimony Signed by Black Westchester Magazine on Scribd
AJ Woodson
AJ Woodson is the Editor-In-Chief of Black Westchester and Co-Owner of Urban Soul Media Group, the parent company, Host & Producer of the People Before Politics Radio Show. AJ is a Father, Brother, An Author, Journalism Fellow (Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism), Hip-Hop Artist - one third of the legendary underground rap group JVC FORCE known for the single Strong Island, Radio Personality, Hip-Hop Historian, Documentarian, Activist, Criminal Justice Advocate and Freelance Journalist whose byline has appeared in several print publications and online sites including The Source, Vibe, the Village Voice, Upscale, Sonicnet.com, Launch.com, Rolling Out Newspaper, Daily Challenge Newspaper, Spiritual Minded Magazine, Word Up! Magazine, On The Go Magazine and several others.
