Coretta Scott King&8217;s legacy is inevitably tied to that of her husband &8212; a link she cherished as she did his memory and his work.

But Mrs. King&8217;s own work during their marriage and in the years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. cemented her role as the &8220;first lady of the civil rights movement.&8221;

Mrs. King &8212; who died Monday of complications of a stroke she suffered last year &8212; was always graceful and dignified. She helped her husband in his work even as she knew the dangers both of them endured every day.

Much has been made over the years of troubles in their marriage. They were not perfect, but no marriage ever is. In the end she remained devoted to their family and to the cause they both championed.

When he died, she carried on his work while remaining strong for the nationa and for their four children at home.

Mrs. King was instrumental in pushing state and national leaders to recognize Dr. King&8217;s birthday as a national holiday. She founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, an institution designed to carry out his work.

Like her husband and others in the civil rights movement, Mrs. King fought every day for freedom and for the rights of minorities, and as we mourn her death today, she should be remembered as much for her own legacy as for her husband&8217;s.