Carolyn King Scholarship

Criteria

A scholarship intended to honor the legacy and example of Carolyn King, a life-long advocate and pioneer for women’s rights and for racial and social justice, will be awarded to one exceptional student each year who meets the standards of the WomenNC Interview Committee based on the following criteria:

• Demonstrated passion for racial justice
• Exhibited courage in advocating opportunities for marginalized persons
• Displays sensitivity, positive attitude, and perseverance in the face of challenge

Features of the Carolyn King Scholarship Fund

The fund will be a “restricted fund” to be used to award scholarships to outstanding students who reflect the personal qualities exhibited by Carolyn King to attend the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York, NY. It is intended for the fund to continue to grow from year to year so that numerous exceptional students will carry on Carolyn King’s legacy to future generations. Our goal is to fund at least one Carolyn King recipient each year, every year, but if in any year the funds remaining are insufficient to fully pay for that recipient’s trip to the U.N.’s CSW meeting, then funds can be made up from other sources. Recipient of the Carolyn King Scholarship will be awarded a certificate.

Please read more by reading our pamphlet on the scholarship.

Recipients

• 2013 - Brian Min of UNC-Chapel Hill presenting The Benefits of Men's Engagement in Violence Prevention against Women & Girls
• 2012 - Mariamawit Tadesse of Meredith College presenting The Importance of Community Health Systems for Rural NC Women

About Carolyn

Carolyn was dedicated to the betterment of communities and citizen opportunities, whether in Kentucky, North Carolina, or on the national, and international stage. As initiator, director and active team member of countless programs such as initiatives leading to the integration of the NC State Parks, low income affordable housing (RICH Park), the first Adult Day Care Center in Raleigh, and more. She loved children of all ages exemplified as Teenage Director of Raleigh YWCA, taught at an all-African American kindergarten (pre-1954 Brown vs. Board of Education), and 18 years teaching at Raleigh Pre-School, the only parent cooperative in Raleigh. Details of her extensive contributions and honored recognition are highlighted in N&O Carolyn King obituary summary of October 4, 2012.

As a longtime advocate of women’s rights, Carolyn rallied for the ERA, promoted efforts for U.S. Senate ratification of the United Nations’ CEDAW treaty (Convention for the Elimination of all Discrimination Against Women), served as President of OWL (Older Women’s League) of Raleigh, an advisor to WomenNC, and member of U.N. Association, Wake Chapter.

Carolyn was one of the first persons to encourage Beth Dehghan (WomenNC’s founder & President), to pursue a leadership development organization for young adults, coupled with support for CEDAW. This evolved into WomenNC’s signature CSW Student Fellowship Program, to focus on women and girls issues that transcend boundaries, with common concerns existing locally and around the globe. An extension of WomenNC is to advocate for awareness and solution-based options for inequalities, much like the example that Carolyn King set in her daily activities.

WomenNC was honored to establish the annual Carolyn King Scholarship Fund that sponsors one university fellow in their research presentations at the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women. When discussing the potential of this fund Carolyn shared, “Oh Beth I will be honored. You are so very kind… I haven’t done much to deserve this! ... You all have done an amazing job in such short time.” We truly appreciate all the supporters of WomenNC in Carolyn’s honor, and send our prayers of thanks to Carolyn for believing in the young women that will be tomorrow’s leaders.