On the eve of Black History Month, the "first lady of the civil rights movement," Coretta Scott King, 78, died.

King, who is the widow of Martin Luther King Jr., is survived by four children. Her oldest daughter, Yolanda King, is currently scheduled to speak as the fourth and final speaker in the Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS). The event is scheduled at 8 p.m. Feb. 20 at Eisenhower Auditorium. The committee is unaware, at this point, whether or not Yolanda King will still be available to speak.

DSS chair Leah Weiser said the series should find out in the next couple of weeks whether Yolanda King will still speak here.

As of yesterday, no plans were announced for commemorative events at Penn State, Pasquerilla Spiritual Center scheduler Peggy Zentner said.

Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA) Executive Secretary Ashleigh May said the association is currently gearing up for Black History Month. "More than likely, we will try to incorporate her legacy," she said. "Mrs. King was the embodiment of the civil rights movement after Dr. King's death."

Arianna Davis (freshman-journalism) said the timing of King's death coincided with the death of another prominent figure of the civil rights movement.

"Her death came so close to Rosa Parks' death," Davis said. "It is like a historical era has come to an end."

Debra Simpson-Buchanan, assistant director of the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, said her thoughts are with the King family.

"As with any death, this is a sad occurrence, and my condolences are with her family," she said.

Communications lecturer Jo Dumas said one of her most wonderful experiences was meeting King in person. "She was a tireless activist throughout her life," she said. "It is a tremendous loss for this nation and the world."

Dumas said King was less recognized as a civil rights leader because she was a woman.

Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said King has been an important contributor to American society.

"Certainly, she has been a leader in the civil rights movement," he said.

Kendig said he did not know of any scheduled events to honor King's memory.

In 1969, King founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta. She also continued his legacy by authoring a book titled My Life with Martin Luther King Jr.

King was instrumental in implementing the 1983 law that made her husband's birthday a national holiday, which was observed Jan. 16 this year.

King missed this year's celebration, after suffering a stroke and heart attack in 2005, but made an appearance at an awards dinner with her children a few days later.