King played a prominent role in the years after her husband 's assassination in 1968 when she took on the leadership of the struggle for racial equality herself and became active in the Women 's Movement . King founded the King Center and sought to make his birthday a national holiday . She finally succeeded when Ronald Reagan signed legislation which established Martin Luther King , Jr . Day on November 2 , 1983 . She later broadened her scope to include both advocacy for LGBT rights and opposition to apartheid . King became friends with many politicians before and after Martin Luther King 's death , including John F. Kennedy , Lyndon B. Johnson , and Robert F. Kennedy . Her telephone conversation with John F. Kennedy during the 1960 presidential election has been credited by historians for mobilizing African-American voters
assassination
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Coretta Scott King