Remembering the Rev. Dr. Ed King: A Champion for Civil Rights

He died on Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Jackson, Mississippi. He was 89.

Photo 1: Standing (from left): Professor Jim Rosenblatt, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, and MDOC Commissioner Pelicia Hall. Seated: the Rev. Dr. Ed King. (Click on image to enlarge.)

WOODVILLE, Miss. -- I was saddened to learn of the death of the Rev. Dr. Ed King. He died at the age of 89 on Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Jackson, Mississippi. A former professor and chaplain at Tougaloo College, he was a fierce warrior for freedom, justice, and civil rights. He was truly a trailblazer, as well as a mentor and friend to Anne Moody, author of Coming of Age in Mississippi.
 
I had the honor of interviewing him in December 2017 for my research on Anne Moody. In February 2018, I penned a blog post titled "Farewell to Anne Moody: Rev. Ed King's Reflection on Her Place in History," which you can read at Roscoe Reporting.
 
In September 2019, when Joan Trumpauer Mulholland and Loki visited the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in Woodville, King was one of our guests. He and Mike O'Brien assisted me in preparing the text for Moody's Freedom Trail marker, which was dedicated in September 2025 at Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church in Centreville.
 
I was honored to know him and was forever changed by his commitment to civil rights. I was inspired by his courage and will always remember his compassion for others. May he rest in peace.

Photo 2: Standing (from left): Deputy Warden of Programs George Castro, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, and Warden Scott Middlebrooks. Seated: the Rev. Dr. Ed King. (Click on image to enlarge.)