RIP Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has passed away at the age of 62, as confirmed by statements from his family and the King Center.
Dexter Scott King is with his Father, Mother and Sister. May they all rest in peace. 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/9dXe0uEF87
— Stephanie Mills (@PrettyMill1) January 22, 2024
The King Center announced in a statement that the 62-year-old civil rights activist succumbed to prostate cancer on Monday. Dexter, the third child of Dr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, had been married to Leah Weber King since 2013.
In a statement from the King Center, Leah Weber King expressed, “He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu. 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.”
ATLANTA (AP) — Dexter Scott King, youngest son of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, has died of cancer, King Center says. pic.twitter.com/6DF9vdRr66
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 22, 2024
Martin Luther King III, Dexter’s older brother, shared his grief in a statement, saying, “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.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton expressed his sorrow, noting, “I was heartbroken to hear that Dexter King left us this morning, but I was comforted by the knowledge he is reunited with his parents and sister.”
Dexter’s mother, Coretta Scott King, passed away in 2006, and his sister Yolanda Denise King in 2007.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens conveyed his condolences, stating, “His profound and unwavering love for his family positioned him as a guardian of his father and mother’s legacies.”
A graduate of Morehouse College, Dexter served as chairman of The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change and president of the King Estate. Despite not having children of his own, he played a significant role in preserving and advancing his father’s civil rights legacy.
Dexter, who was seven years old when his father was assassinated, spoke of the challenges of bearing his father’s name. Following his father’s death, people expected him to follow in his father’s footsteps, even urging him to become a minister.
Dexter’s career was closely tied to his father’s legacy, co-authoring a book, “Growing Up King: An Intimate Memoir,” and portraying his father in the 2002 film, “The Rosa Parks Story.”
Beyond his civil rights work, Dexter was a vocal vegan and advocate for animal rights. In a 1995 interview with The Vegetarian Times, he explained that his diet was an extension of his nonviolent beliefs, emphasizing the connection between how one lives life and how one treats others.
