The world found that Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King helped cowl the hospital invoice for America’s Sweetheart herself – Julia Roberts. It appears like one thing straight out of a film, however it’s a heartwarming slice of actual life that slipped beneath the radar for many years.
Whereas the connection between the Roberts and King households wasn’t precisely hush-hush, it wasn’t precisely front-page information till a latest viral tweet revived the story.
Simply earlier than Roberts’ fifty fifth birthday, Twitter went wild after an account referred to as @turnandstomp retweeted a fan video of younger Roberts, commenting, “Martin Luther King Jr paying for her beginning remains to be a little bit recognized indisputable fact that sends me.” The tweet rapidly picked up steam, racking up over 100,000 likes and sparking a stream of shocked and delighted responses from followers.
Then, on Roberts’ precise birthday, Gayle King, who’s no stranger to turning jaw-dropping info into viral moments, requested her about it throughout a HISTORYTalks reside occasion. “OK,” Roberts grinned, “her analysis is superb.”
After some playful back-and-forth concerning the King household’s involvement, Roberts confirmed it: “The King household…” she nodded, then clarified, “Clearly, as a result of my dad and mom couldn’t pay for the hospital.” Discuss a mic-drop second!
So, how did this come about? Seems, within the late ‘60s, when Roberts was born in Smyrna, Georgia, her dad and mom — Walter and Betty Roberts — ran the one built-in kids’s theater college in Atlanta. As destiny would have it, Coretta Scott King reached out as a result of she couldn’t discover a place for her children to go to highschool.
“In the future Coretta Scott King referred to as my mom and requested if her children may very well be a part of the college,” Roberts defined. “My mother was like, ‘Positive, come on over,’” and from there, the 2 households hit it off. “All of them simply grew to become buddies, and so they helped us out of a jam.”
This wasn’t simply any act of kindness; it was a beacon of change. King identified that it was extraordinary for Black and white children to take appearing courses collectively within the South through the ‘60s. In a time when racial segregation was the norm, the Roberts’ college was a uncommon, welcoming area. “It was extraordinary,” she remarked.
Bernice King, the youngest daughter of MLK and Coretta, expressed her gratitude on Twitter, thanking Roberts for sharing the story and acknowledging the lasting impression of her dad and mom’ generosity. “I do know the story effectively,” she tweeted, “however it’s transferring for me to be reminded of my dad and mom’ generosity and affect.” Now, that’s some household legacy.
Yolanda King, the King’s oldest little one, additionally has fond reminiscences of the time spent on the Roberts’ college. “All of those Black children and white children getting alongside, no issues,” she recalled, reminiscing concerning the community-like environment. However not everybody was a fan of the built-in college. Creator Phillip DePoy, who attended, shared that he as soon as acquired caught up in an explosive state of affairs when a member of the Ku Klux Klan observed him kissing Yolanda throughout a play rehearsal. The outcome? A automotive bomb.
Regardless of the college’s eventual closure as a result of monetary difficulties, and the Roberts’ divorce in 1977, this story of compassion, connection, and breaking down obstacles has remained a testomony to what can occur when individuals stand collectively — no matter race, background, or circumstance.
So, the subsequent time Julia Roberts smiles on the digicam, simply know — her beginning was paid for by two civil rights icons.
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