Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., passed away on Monday at the age of 62.
He had been battling prostate cancer for several years and died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Malibu, California, with his wife by his side.
King was born on January 30, 1961, in Atlanta, Georgia, and named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father was pastor before moving to the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. He was the third child of Dr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King and had two siblings: Martin Luther King III and Bernice King. He also had a paternal grandfather, Martin Luther King Sr., and a paternal first cousin, Alveda King.
King was a graduate of Morehouse College and served as chairman of The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change and president of the King Estate. He was also an animal rights activist and a vegan since the late 1980s. He attended the Democratic National Convention in 1972 and became interested in politics after witnessing his father’s assassination in 1968.
King married Leah Weber in 2013 and they did not have any children together. His brother Martin Luther King III said that he was “deeply saddened” by his death and asked for prayers for his family. His sister Bernice said that he was “a wonderful brother” who “loved life” and “lived with courage”. His mother Coretta said that he was “a blessing to us all” who “left us too soon”.
King’s legacy will live on through his work at The King Center, which aims to promote nonviolence, social justice, human rights, and peace around the world. He also appeared in several documentaries about his father’s life and achievements, such as The Rosa Parks Story (2002) and Our Friend Martin (1999). He will be remembered as a devoted son, brother, husband, friend, and activist who followed his father’s footsteps with passion and dedication.
By Salam Bustanji
