Bermuda's political leaders united in sadness yesterday at the news of the passing of Mrs. Coretta Scott-King, wife of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King.

Mrs. Scott-King died, aged 78, in her sleep during the night at an alternative medicine clinic in Mexico yesterday.

She had visited Bermuda in May, 1997 when she spoke at a conference on women's issues at the Southampton Princess where she urged women to become the vanguard for a more caring world.

And she had stressed the principle of non-violence which her husband had championed.

Yesterday Premier Alexander Scott expressed sadness at the news of Mrs. Scott-King's death.

He said: "Dr. Martin Luther King moved on to the world stage in the turbulent 1960s during the height of the civil rights struggle and his wife Coretta Scott-King stood courageously at his side until his very tragic end.

Mr. Scott said Mrs. Scott-King had became the: "Bearer of the flame and the keeper of the legacy of the King name and all that it has represented in the struggle by people of colour for freedom, justice and equality, from the moment of his passing to today when death proved to be the only agent able to still the voice and the representation of this great, great lady.

"She, like several women of her time, was widowed by an assassin's bullet which cut down her husband, and, in one unthinkable act, unleashed a dignity, determination and devotion to duty that characterise her contribution to the cause and to her place in history.

"On behalf of the Government and people of Bermuda, I wish to extend our heartfelt sympathy to the grieving King family and a US nation that is richer because she lived and rendered poorer for her passing."

UBP leader Wayne Furbert said Mrs. Scott-King had helped keep her husband's dream alive of a world where people were judged not on the colour of their skin but on the content of their character.

"Dr. Martin Luther-King I always looked up to," he said.

This is the text of the 1997 story that appeared in The Royal Gazette when Mrs. King visited Bermuda:

By Henry Adderley

Women must become the vanguard for a more caring world, humanitarian Coretta

Scott King said this week.

The widow of Martin Luther King Jr., and 1996 Sara Lee Frontrunner Award recipient, was speaking to more than 100 people who gathered at the

Southampton Princess on Wednesday night to discuss women's issues.

The event was organised by research and development group Akinstall

International.

Mrs. Scott King said it was an era where women around the world still suffered

human rights injustices yet had a key role to play in creating a nonviolent

society and world.

While more men were involved in bringing up children today, she said, even the

best of them did not fully understand the demands of motherhood.

There was ?a long way to go before we can celebrate an equal partnership in

child rearing and marriage,? she added.

?As the 21st century approaches we must place a new emphasis on nonviolence

as a family value,? continued Mrs. Scott King. ?We must resolve that our

children will learn the principle of non-violence.?

Women had to guide their children in the values of compassion, caring,

patience, understanding, tolerance and forgiveness.

Mrs. Scott King added that these qualities should be taught through adult

behaviour -- not lectures.

Once learned, children would respect themselves and others and value people

and their social responsibility.

?This can be the greatest gift for the future,? she said.

Also key to a child's development and a nonviolent society, she continued, was

the need to be able to deal with conflict.

?It is unavoidable,? she admitted, ?but many people do not know how to deal

with it.?

This was mainly due to children growing up without witnessing effective

conflict management.

She said she realised that nonviolent child rearing was becoming more

difficult in today's society but stressed: ?It starts with the parents

because the children are always watching.?

Mrs. Scott King said nonviolence was not just about child or spouse abuse, nor

was it about behaviour.

Instead, she pointed out, it was about attitude.

It is about the way we treat each other, speak to each other and look out for

each other, she continued.

And it was a permanent attitude involving the values of understanding,

forgiveness and sharing being ?brought to the breakfast table? and utilised

until ?going to bed at night?.

The primary cause of violence was the ?decay in moral and spiritual values?,

she said. ?People are losing their spiritual bearing.?

Faith and power had to be found as they were necessary for the change she was

referring to, she said.

With them would come unconditional love and this was the key to peace.

?Peaceful goals are reached by peaceful methods,? she noted. ?We will not

build a peaceful world by following a negative path.?