Lasuria Kandi Allman and the entire family of Mamie Zwadie King-Chalmers, the iconic symbol of the MLK Civil Rights Movement - are heartbroken to announce her passing this morning, November 29, 2022. Mamie Zwadie King-Chalmers lived her life fighting for the rights of African Americans, educating about voting and sharing history throughout the United States. Mamie Ruth King was born June 19, 1941 in Birmingham, Alabama to a modest, working class family which consisted of five sisters and five brothers. Her father was Berry King Sr., a coal miner for Tennessee Coal and Iron Hampton Slopes Mines in the subdivision of Pratt City, died in 1965 of Black Lung Disease after years of working in inhumane conditions. Her mother, Mattie Marlowe-King, worked untiringly at Marshall Durbin Chicken Factory in order to provide necessities for the family. Mamie’s Great Grandfather Abe King was a slave at John King plantation in Morango County, working but never fulfilling a debt because the money was taken from him. The conditions of his life and the mistreatment of others living under the threat of Jim Crow Laws, she was inspired to work for a change.
In
1960's one of the most racial and volatile times in American history,
Birmingham was also known as "Bombingham". In 1963 Dr. Martin Luther
King arrived in Birmingham at the request of Reverend Fred
Shuttlesworth. A mass meeting at 16th St. Baptist Church campaigning,
against segregation, injustices in public places and the Jim Crow Laws
that binded them. When Dr King finished his speech, she knew this was
her calling unafraid Mamie joined the Alabama Christian Movement for
Human Rights and became an active demonstrator, Member, Participant and
Organizer, and Demonstrator in the Civil Rights Movement.
Mamie was targeted by The Public Safety Chief Eugene "Bull" Connors who
was a self proclaimed racist. She was jailed on several occasions one
time she spent five days in jail under horrible conditions. On Friday
May 3, 1963, Bull Connors spotted Mamie and sent the dogs after her. She
ran across the street to a doctors office seeking shelter from the
vicious dogs, she was cornered. Bull Connors order the Fire Department
"to turn the hoses on the niggers so they won't have to take a bath." So
they began to hose Mamie, while she was pinned to the wall and alone.
Several children made attempts to help her but they weren't successful.
Two unidentified young men reached Mamie and used their bodies as
shields to absorb some of the water pressure. Many children used their
bodies as targets and distractions to help Mamie and the young men. The
water pressure was so hard it was like bricks were being hurled at their
heads and bodies. Due to the pressure of the water from the hoses,
Mamie suffered permanent hearing damage in her right ear. These events
were captured by Black Star Photographer, Charles Moore who
later sold the images to Time magazine. Their feature in Time gained
national attention - which sparked the Civil Rights Movement and support
for Civil Rights changes in 1964.
In 1997 Mamie found out her identity, experiences, accomplishments, and most of all her pride had been claimed by prominent Alabamian Reverend Carolyn Maull Mckinstry author of While the World Watched. http://wade-inpublishing.blogspot.com/2015/06/meeting-history-face-to-face-interview.html
**Mamie's biography is featured in Ey Wade's Beads on a String-America's Racially Intertwined Biographical History bit.ly/WeAreBeads
