TED Radio Hour Three mothers who shaped American history
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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.
