--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before my mother was a King, she climbed…" description: "\"Before my mother was a King, she climbed trees and wrestled with boys. And won. Even as a child, Coretta Scott demonstrated that her gender would not d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/bernice-king-7450_gender_before-my-mother-was-a-king-she-climbed_47123.png" --- # Before my mother was a King, she climbed trees and… ![“Before my mother was a King, she climbed trees and wrestled with boys. And won. Even as a child, Coretta Scott demonstrated that her gender would not deter her success, nor did it detract from her strength.” quote by Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/bernice-king-7450_gender_before-my-mother-was-a-king-she-climbed_47123.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/bernice-king-7450_gender_before-my-mother-was-a-king-she-climbed_47123.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/bernice-king-7450_gender_before-my-mother-was-a-king-she-climbed_47123.png) > “Before my mother was a King, she climbed trees and wrestled with boys. And won. Even as a child, Coretta Scott demonstrated that her gender would not deter her success, nor did it detract from her strength.” [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Coretta Scott King’s early defiance of gender expectations showed that strength and leadership are not limited by sex. **In simple terms:** Early defiance of gender norms Key Takeaway Gender does not limit capability Themes Gender Equality Leadership Resilience Childhood Social Change Mood Empowering Defiant Inspirational Type Historical Motivational When to use this quote - Teaching gender studies - Motivational speaking - Leadership workshops - Historical biographies Key Concepts Gender Roles Empowerment Historical Figures Practical Applications - Inspiring youth programs - Designing gender‑inclusive curricula Questions to Reflect On - How can early role models reshape societal expectations? - What barriers still limit women’s leadership today? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gender/) [King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) ## Related quotes > [The world is better because of Coretta Scott King. She affected countless lives and her voice will be deeply missed, especially by those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alcee-hastings/the-world-is-better-because-of-coretta-scott-king-she-affected/) [Alcee Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alcee-hastings/) > [A new Coretta Scott King I think I found one. Man I'm through with y'all hoes I think I'll crown one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dom-kennedy/a-new-coretta-scott-king-i-think-i-found-one-man-i-m-through-with-y/) [Dom Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dom-kennedy/) > [Coretta Scott King was all about her pearl earrings. At one point, I'm wearing pearl earrings the size of golf balls. They're enormous! She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-ejogo/coretta-scott-king-was-all-about-her-pearl-earrings-at-one-point-i-m/) [Carmen Ejogo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-ejogo/) > [Without Coretta Scott King, there would not have been a Martin Luther King, Jr. in the way that we know him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coretta-scott-king/without-coretta-scott-king-there-would-not-have-been-a-martin-luther/) [Coretta Scott King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coretta-scott-king/) > [Before she was a King, my mother was a peace advocate, a courageous leader, and an accomplished artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/before-she-was-a-king-my-mother-was-a-peace-advocate-a-courageous/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [Sex is f-king, everything else is gender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/sex-is-f-king-everything-else-is-gender/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [President Obama's achievements and failures must be evaluated by comparison to those chief executives who have come before him and not be measured against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-garrow/president-obama-s-achievements-and-failures-must-be-evaluated-by/) [David Garrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-garrow/) > [I never knew about racial segregation until Martin Luther King.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bradley/i-never-knew-about-racial-segregation-until-martin-luther-king/) [Charles Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bradley/) > [“My kingdom not for a horse, but for a good piece of advice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/my-kingdom-not-for-a-horse-but-for-a-good-piece-of-advice/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [They say that the commons of England would first destroy the king's friends and afterward himself, and then bring the Duke of York to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-cade/they-say-that-the-commons-of-england-would-first-destroy-the-king-s/) [Jack Cade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-cade/) > [Kenny King, his character on TV is him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lashley/kenny-king-his-character-on-tv-is-him/) [Bobby Lashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lashley/) > ['Melanin Man' was inspired by the words of an Uber driver in L.A. Before I got out of the car he said, 'They're scared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masego/melanin-man-was-inspired-by-the-words-of-an-uber-driver-in-l-a-before/) [Masego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masego/) > [People from all walks of life that you might find as a King Diamond fan - you don't look a certain way; you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-diamond/people-from-all-walks-of-life-that-you-might-find-as-a-king-diamond/) [King Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-diamond/) > [“Kings don’t move mountains as a favor to a friend,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/kings-don-t-move-mountains-as-a-favor-to-a-friend/) [Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/) > [“Wasn’t it Machiavelli who said ‘Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darius-brasher/wasn-t-it-machiavelli-who-said-any-man-who-tries-to-be-good-all-the/) Darius Brasher ## More by Bernice King > [Nonviolence will empower and equip us to bring generations to the table and fuse our knowledge, gifts, and zeal together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/nonviolence-will-empower-and-equip-us-to-bring-generations-to-the/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [Before she was a King, my mother was a peace advocate, a courageous leader, and an accomplished artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/before-she-was-a-king-my-mother-was-a-peace-advocate-a-courageous/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [At Grinnell College, for the first time in my life, I was in an all-white setting. It was a shocking experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/at-grinnell-college-for-the-first-time-in-my-life-i-was-in-an-all/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [Continue to speak out against all forms of injustice to yourselves and others, and you will set a mighty example for your children and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/continue-to-speak-out-against-all-forms-of-injustice-to-yourselves/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [We cannot afford to regard as normal the presence of injustice, inhumanity, and violence, including their verbal and cyber manifestations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/we-cannot-afford-to-regard-as-normal-the-presence-of-injustice/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [Something big is going on. I'm talking about a society that refuses to allow injustice just to persist without making our voices heard and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/something-big-is-going-on-i-m-talking-about-a-society-that-refuses-to/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [With continued prayer and an equally-determined commitment to action for needed anti-violence reforms, let us resolve to work toward a new era in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/with-continued-prayer-and-an-equally-determined-commitment-to-action/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [Seek out your brothers and sisters of other cultures and join together in building alliances to put an end to all forms of racial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/seek-out-your-brothers-and-sisters-of-other-cultures-and-join/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [Every time I go to these racial forums, it is people who are alike, or it is progressives and liberals. So I said, 'At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/every-time-i-go-to-these-racial-forums-it-is-people-who-are-alike-or/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [If each of us works toward making a sincere effort when we wake up each morning with a renewed commitment and dedication to embracing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/if-each-of-us-works-toward-making-a-sincere-effort-when-we-wake-up/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [I spend a lot of time meditating, which is something that I don't think most people know about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-meditating-which-is-something-that-i-don-t/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [It is painful beyond measure to lose a loving father and grandmother to violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/it-is-painful-beyond-measure-to-lose-a-loving-father-and-grandmother/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [Among her many accomplishments, my mother is often identified as the leader of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/among-her-many-accomplishments-my-mother-is-often-identified-as-the/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [The more you resist something, the more aggressive it becomes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/the-more-you-resist-something-the-more-aggressive-it-becomes/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [You will encounter misguided people from time to time. That's part of life. The challenge is to educate them when you can, but always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/you-will-encounter-misguided-people-from-time-to-time-that-s-part-of/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) [Explore all 91 Bernice King quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) ## More Gender quotes > [“Because I am a transvestite, people often assume that this gives me a special insight into the opposite gender. But this is rubbish: how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grayson-perry/because-i-am-a-transvestite-people-often-assume-that-this-gives-me-a/) [Grayson Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grayson-perry/) > [I hate prejudice on any level. I don't care if it's somebody being discriminated against because of the color of their skin or their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlamagne-tha-god/i-hate-prejudice-on-any-level-i-don-t-care-if-it-s-somebody-being/) [Charlamagne tha God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlamagne-tha-god/) > [Right now, for many Americans, class is being foregrounded like never before because of the economic situation. It doesn't mean that race doesn't matter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/right-now-for-many-americans-class-is-being-foregrounded-like-never/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [O! how short a time does it take to put an end to a woman's liberty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-burney/o-how-short-a-time-does-it-take-to-put-an-end-to-a-woman-s-liberty/) [Fanny Burney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-burney/) > [The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan. Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-koch/the-way-i-look-at-it-is-cancer-research-is-absolutely-nonpartisan/) [David H. Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-koch/) > [We need policymakers to keep an eye on gender and write policies that are explicitly designed to include underserved populations like girls in computer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reshma-saujani/we-need-policymakers-to-keep-an-eye-on-gender-and-write-policies-that/) [Reshma Saujani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reshma-saujani/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [As far as the adjectives that I lead with, I think a writer and a comedienne are first. I have never qualified my experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-rothwell/as-far-as-the-adjectives-that-i-lead-with-i-think-a-writer-and-a/) [Natasha Rothwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-rothwell/) > [Yeah, maybe that's the way to solve the gender inequality that's naturally in relationships: to have a lot more power in the woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-song/yeah-maybe-that-s-the-way-to-solve-the-gender-inequality-that-s/) [Celine Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-song/) > [It's almost comical how un-liberal liberal Hollywood is when it comes to fighting gender and racial bias.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-alexander/it-s-almost-comical-how-un-liberal-liberal-hollywood-is-when-it-comes/) [Lexi Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi-alexander/) > [We've been socialised and told that there is a way to describe people, and that way is by their gender or their sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asia-kate-dillon/we-ve-been-socialised-and-told-that-there-is-a-way-to-describe-people/) [Asia Kate Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asia-kate-dillon/) > [“If men could see us as we really are, they would be a little amazed; but the cleverest, the acutest men are often under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-men-could-see-us-as-we-really-are-they-would-be-a-little-amazed/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [It's very important to me that people accept me as a transgendered female. But it's ridiculous to a lot of people and I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-arquette/it-s-very-important-to-me-that-people-accept-me-as-a-transgendered/) [Alexis Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-arquette/) > ["Natural" is a very dangerous word to use about sexuality ... Our society's notions of normality are completely fake and meta-trendy, since they rely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-bright/natural-is-a-very-dangerous-word-to-use-about-sexuality-our-society-s/) [Susie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-bright/) > [The great paradox of the civil rights revolution is that instead of enforcing and expanding equality before the law, the revolution created differential rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-great-paradox-of-the-civil-rights-revolution-is-that-instead-of/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) [Browse all 2,591 Gender quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gender/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before my mother was a King, she climbed trees and wrestled with boys. And won. 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