TED Radio Hour Three mothers who shaped American history
10 snips
Feb 27, 2026 
Anna Malaika Tubbs, sociologist and author of The Three Mothers, recovers the overlooked lives of the women who raised MLK Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin. She traces a pastor mother’s faith and activism, a Grenadian organizer’s brave resistance, and a single mother’s fierce love that propelled a writer to Paris. Short, powerful stories about motherhood, resilience and historical impact.
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Alberta King Raised A Future Civil Rights Leader
- Alberta King was a civic-minded, educated leader who intertwined Christian faith with social justice and mentored her children in disciplined routines and moral purpose.
- Anna Malaika Tubbs shows Alberta shaped MLK Jr.'s activism through daily teachings, Bible study, and frequent confidences that mirrored his public work.
Alberta King's Violent Death During Church Service
- Alberta King was assassinated while playing the organ at Ebenezer Baptist Church when a man stood up and began shooting, killing her before she reached the hospital.
- Tubbs recounts the unexpected violent end in the very church her family founded, underscoring the personal risks civil-rights families faced.
Louise Little's Caribbean Roots Fueled Radical Resistance
- Louise Little's Grenadian heritage and family stories of resistance (like Leaper's Hill) fed a worldview of refusing oppression and embracing Black self-sufficiency.
- Tubbs traces Louise's activism into Garveyism and writing for Negro World, which set a militant, proud example for her children.
