#5: Coretta Scott King (1969)
Photographed by Moneta Sleet Jr., this intimate image shows Coretta Scott King at the funeral of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She sits beside her daughter, her face composed yet heavy with grief. The quiet sorrow in the frame speaks louder than any headline.
The photograph earned the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography and marked a historic first for Sleet as the first Black photographer to win. Its power lies in restraint. Rather than chaos or spectacle, it captured dignity, strength, and private mourning at a pivotal moment in American history.