Black Mail Blog

Black History:  Special Delivery!!

Earlier today, we asked our Black Mail Readers who was the highest ranking African American female working for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  during the civil rights movement.  THE ANSWER IS:  DOROTHY COTTON.  The following info about her life was taken from her website:  http://www.dorothycotton.com

“From 1960 to 1968, Dr. Dorothy Cotton was the Education Director for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). In that capacity, she worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders, directing the Citizenship Education Program (CEP).  As the Education Director she was considered one of the highest ranking women with the SCLC. She accompanied Dr. King when he received the Nobel Prize for Peace in Norway.  On April 4, 1968 she was at the Lorraine Motel in room 307 next door to Dr. Kings’ room, the day of his assassination.  After Dr. King’s death, she served as the Vice President for Field Operations for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia where she was a leader and senior trainer for the Center in areas nonviolence and empowerment for leadership”