Alberta Williams King
The quiet matriarch of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, she shaped the moral core of a movement from the family piano.
1904–1974 (age 70)·Mother of Martin Luther King Jr.·Birthday: September 13·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Alberta Williams King was the bedrock of Atlanta's most influential civil rights family. The daughter of Ebenezer's pastor, she was an accomplished musician who led the church choir for decades, instilling a sense of spiritual discipline and community through music. Her home was not just a parsonage but a training ground; she cultivated the intellect and character of her children, including a young M.L., with a blend of gentle firmness and high expectations. While her husband and son commanded the public pulpit, she managed the intricate web of church and movement logistics, offering steadfast counsel. Her life ended in tragic symmetry: she was assassinated by a gunman while playing the organ at the very church where her son's funeral had been held.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Alberta was born in 1904, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alberta Was Born
The biggest hits of 1904
Alberta's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1904Born
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Started school
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1917Became a teenager
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Could drive
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1922Could vote
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1925Turned 21
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1934Turned 30
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1944Turned 40
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1954Turned 50
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1964Turned 60
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 70
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
Key Achievements
- Served as the choir director of the Ebenezer Baptist Church for over 40 years, shaping its musical legacy.
- Co-founded and helped lead the Ebenezer Baptist Church Women's Committee, a key community organization.
- Played a foundational role in the education and moral development of Martin Luther King Jr. from childhood.
Did You Know?
She earned a teaching certificate from Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute but was barred from teaching in Atlanta's segregated system.
She was an accomplished organist and pianist.
Her father, Adam Daniel Williams, was the pastor who built Ebenezer Baptist Church into a major institution.
She was a skilled seamstress who made clothes for her family.
“The music must serve the spirit, not just entertain.”
