The renowned son of civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King Jr., Dexter Scott King, has passed away. His age was 62. The family of King announced in a statement that he passed away on Sunday, 21 January 2024, in California following a battle with prostate cancer.
King “transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu,” according to a statement released by his wife, Leah Weber King, who is affiliated with the King Centre for Nonviolent Social Change.
“He gave it everything and battled this terrible disease until the end. As with all the challenges in his life, he faced this hurdle with bravery and might,” she said.
His younger sibling, the Rev. Bernice King, stated, “Words cannot express the heartbreak. I’m praying for strength to get through this very difficult time.”
I am deeply saddened to share that my brother, Dexter Scott King, has passed away. The sudden shock is devastating. It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this. Please keep the entire King family in your prayers, and in particular Dexter's wife, Leah Weber King. pic.twitter.com/m66arGAifN
— Martin Luther King III (@OfficialMLK3) January 22, 2024
Martin Luther King III, the Kings’ oldest surviving child, stated in a statement: “The sudden shock is devastating. It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this. We ask for your prayers at this time for the entire King family.”
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In his role as chairman of the King Centre, which he co-founded after graduating from Morehouse College, Dexter King spearheaded initiatives to safeguard the intellectual property and history of his family. In addition, he presided over the King’s Estate.
“He was the family member delegated to take on the mantle of continuing the precedent his father set by legally protecting his work,” the King Centre stated. “He devoted his life to the continued perpetuation of his father’s legacy and the protection of the intellectual property his father left behind.”
Dexter King discussed numerous topics in his memoir “Growing Up King,” published in 2003. One of these was the effect of his father’s murder in 1968 when he was seven years old.
The King Center has sadly just announced the passing of it’s Chairman, Dexter King. Dexter was the youngest son & the 3rd child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr & Coretta Scott King.
My condolences to all of Dexter’s family & friends. May he RIP, may his legacy live🕊️
📸: Prabook pic.twitter.com/aLGS1JYQRa
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) January 22, 2024
The Rev. Al Sharpton, presenter of MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation,” said in a statement: “He turned that pain into activism, however, and dedicated his life to advancing the dream Martin and Coretta Scott King had for their children.” Also, Dexter King “left us far too soon,” he said.
The man convicted of murdering King’s father in Memphis, Tennessee, James Earl Ray, was visited by King in 1997. Ray assured Dexter King that he did not kill the civil rights icon. According to the son, he trusted Ray.
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The Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where Dexter King’s father served as pastor in the 1950s, is the inspiration for his name. Coretta Scott King, Dexter’s mom, passed away in 2006, and Yolanda King, his sister, passed away in 2007.
