Why The Republicans Attempted To Silence Coretta Scott King From The Grave

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The U.S. Senate has tried to silence Coretta Scott King for 30 years:  <a href="https://t.co/Mic3PAB8eY">pic.twitter.com/Mic3PAB8eY</a></p> — Slate (@Slate) <a href="https://twitter.com/Slate/status/829383662219251717">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Y’all Congress is at it again. They already messed up by confirming Betsy DeVos as the Secretary of Education and now another Trump nominee, Jeff Sessions, is well on his way to becoming Attorney General. We’ve spoken about <a href="https://madamenoire.com/782588/woman-says-long-stays-black-shell-never-forget-jeff-sessions-family/">Jeff Sessions before on our site</a>, specifically how he targeted a Black couple, Albert and Evelyn Turner, who made it their life’s work to encourage Black people to vote. Sessions, leading a team at the Alabama U.S. Attorney’s office, prosecuted this couple after accusing them of altering ballots. They were eventually acquitted but Evelyn Turner says she will never forget the turmoil he caused their family. But turns out Turner isn’t the only woman who’s had something unfavorable to say about Sessions. In 1986, he was attempting to become a judge. And Coretta Scott King <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/01/10/read-the-letter-coretta-scott-king-wrote-opposing-sessionss-1986-federal-nomination/?utm_term=.35831ac5b90b">wrote a 9-page letter, not including the cover page,</a> explaining why she didn’t believe Sessions was fit to hold this office. On the cover page, she wrote: “Anyone who has used the power of his office as United States Attorney to intimidate and chill the free exercise of the ballot by citizens should not be elevated to our courts.” Facts. So you may be wondering why a letter that’s over 30 years old is in the news today, in 2017. Well, Senator Elizabeth Warren, (D-MA) was attempting to read King’s words during the confirmation hearing, obviously in opposition to Sessions being confirmed as Attorney General. But when she began reading, the Republicans took a vote to formally silence her. They argued that she was in violation of Rule 19, impute a fellow senator. Before he silenced her, Mitch McConnell, the majority leader said, “The senator has impugned the motives and conduct of our colleague from Alabama, as warned by the chair. Senator Warren, quote, said “Senator Sessions has used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens. I call the senator to order under the provision of Rule 19.” You can watch the whole thing in the video below. <iframe id="nyt_video_player" title="New York Times Video - Embed Player" src="https://static01.nyt.com/video/players/offsite/index.html?videoId=100000004918915" width="480" height="321" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Later McConnell said, of Warren, “She was warned,” Mr. McConnell said of Ms. Warren. “She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.” Warren released a statement later. “Republican senators’ decision tonight to silence Coretta Scott King from the grave is disgusting and disgraceful. Mrs. King’s characterization of then U.S. Attorney Senator Sessions was accurate in 1986 and it is accurate now. He is as much of a friend to the Black community and civl rights as Bull Connor and the Good Old Boyd were during the Civil Rights Movement.” Elizabeth doesn’t mince words. Really, the whole time I thought about the Republicans attempt to silence not one but two women. and I wondered, if they were unwilling to hear the voices of a colleague and a Civil Rights icon, then which women are they willing to listen to, really? Late last night, I also saw this tweet, which nearly sent chills through my body. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">ON <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLKDay?src=hash">#MLKDay</a>, Trump met w/ MLK III & paraded him in front of cameras. Today, Coretta's letter was banned from the Senate floor. What a time.</p> — April (@ReignOfApril) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReignOfApril/status/829192649995333632">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> This is why folks are so upset at the mere sight of Black people associating with Trump. Because while you might be good enough to take a picture with, or good enough to have a conversation with, when it comes down to the decisions that really matter, your voice will not be heard. Thankfully, Warren wasn’t so easily discouraged, being silenced on the Senate floor. Later, on her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/senatorelizabethwarren/videos/vb.131559043673264/724337794395383/?type=2&theater&notif_t=live_video_interaction&notif_id=1486526408091711">Facebook page</a>, she read King’s letter attracting, at the point of publication, 7.9 million views. <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsenatorelizabethwarren%2Fvideos%2F724337794395383%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> For those who would like to read the full letter, you can do so here. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/rQD4sNBejt">https://t.co/rQD4sNBejt</a></p> — Veronica Wells (@VDubShrug) <a href="https://twitter.com/VDubShrug/status/829408272335695873">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <i>Veronica Wells is the culture editor at MadameNoire.com. She is also the author of </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bettah-Days-Veronica-R-Wells/dp/1535549866"><i>“Bettah Days.”</i></a><i> You can follow her on </i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/veronicarwells"><i>Facebook</i></a><i> and Twitter</i><a href="https://twitter.com/VDubShrug"><i> @VDubShrug.</i></a>