Entertainment

07:32 AM CST on Wednesday, February 1, 2006

By CHARLES EALY / The Dallas Morning News

Coretta Scott King, the late widow of civil-rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., will be remembered as a woman of self-sacrifice who maintained the legacy of her husband's dreams of peace and equality. But she'll also be remembered for her contribution to the arts, specifically to children's books.

Starting in 1970, she lent her name to the Coretta Scott King Book Award, which annually honors African-American authors and illustrators of kids' books. She was also a key force behind My Friend Martin, a 1999 kids video that aimed to communicate the values of Dr. King.

"When you teach young people love and values and how to be peaceful and respectful in your disagreements, that people have more in common than they are different, I think they will learn to like people and respect people who are different from themselves," Ms. King told The Dallas Morning News in 1999.

"The main thing is that if we can get young people to give that unconditional love that we strive for, it makes us more fulfilled and it enables you to make a contribution to society that will advance the cause of humanity."

The same can be said for the book award, one of the leading honors for children's authors, along with the Newbery and Caldecott medals.

One of the award's co-founders, the late Glyndon Greer, "knew there was a void in locating and recognizing African-American illustrators and authors," says Fran Ware, chair of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee. "So she asked Coretta if she could use her name.

"Children who are fumbling and lost can go to these books and find values of peace and sharing and in many cases can get back on course," Ms. Ware says. "I can't tell you how many librarians and educators have used these books and are so grateful."

The first Coretta Scott King Award was presented in 1970 to Lillie Patterson, author of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Man of Peace. Since then, winners have included Duey's Tale by Pearl Bailey ('76), Escape to Freedom: A Play About Young Frederick Douglass by Ossie Davis ('79), The Road to Memphis by Mildred D. Taylor ('91) and this year's winner, Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by Julius Lester.

Recently, the award was expanded to include illustrators and new authors. This year illustrator Bryan Collier was honored for Rosa , which was written by Nikki Giovanni. And the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for a new African-American author went to Jaime Adoff for Jimi & Me.

"A person of Martin's nobility, who is willing to set down his life for the greater good, will not come along again in a long time," Ms. King told The News in 1999. "It requires someone who is totally self-effacing. And yet I believe Martin's spirit is very much alive in many places and individuals and all over the world, and that's what keeps me going. That's what keeps me going."

Staff writer Nancy Churnin contributed to this report.

E-mail cealy@dallasnews.com