On April 21, Ms. King, sister-in-law to the late Dr. Martin Luther King, will make a rare appearance on campus to lead the panel discussions on the 50th Anniversary Selma Celebrations that recently took place in Selma, Alabama. 
She will also share excepts from her new book, “A.D. and M.L. King: Two Brothers Who Dared to Dream,” which is quickly becoming a highly sought-after memoir as a new generation seeks to understand the motivation behind Dr. King’s tactic of non-violent direct action in confronting southern racial hate. 
Mrs. King was born in Dothan, Alabama, in 1931, and was destined to become a woman of quiet dignity, strength and support to her husband, her family and the communities around her.  Naomi would come to walk in the grace and distinction of her beloved butterflies, and acquire the noted title of the “Butterfly Queen.” Like the butterfly, Mrs. King brings beauty and joy to everyone around her. Colorful and talented, she uses her creativity to handle the most difficult tasks, and manages to put those near her at ease in the process.
Naomi joined Ebenezer Baptist Church and began to grow spiritually under the pastorate of Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. and his wife, Mrs. Alberta Williams King. Naomi got to know Martin, A.D. and Christine, the King siblings, and caught the eye of their youngest son, A. D., with the support and guidance of “Daddy King,” she married A. D.  and they began their family.  Naomi said her ultimate calling would be life as a wife and First Lady.  They would parent five children, and together become the “quiet support” of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; leader of the Civil Rights Movement of the 20^th Century. 
As the young wife of her activist husband, Rev. A. D. King, she stood by as a confidant, prayer partner and advisor to the younger brother of the more famous Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  In the height of the civil rights battles, where together A. D. and Naomi lived through the bombings of their home in Birmingham, AL, and later their church in Louisville, KY. Naomi was a “quiet strength” to her husband and family.  During his lifetime, Rev. A. D. pastored four churches.  He was called home to co-pastor Ebenezer Baptist Church after Martin was assassinated.  A. D. King was killed a year after returning home to Atlanta.  The circumstances behind his death were suspicious and unresolved to this day.        
 The family endured much in order to bring about the historic changes in America. The sacrifice of the King family is much more understood and appreciated through the work of Mrs. King, whose insight and honesty brings those memorable moments in history to life.
The panel discussion will include UMass Boston Faculty/Staff and Students who will give their perspective from the recent trip to Selma.