Dr. Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King Jr., a hero of the civil rights movement, and his wife, Coretta Scott King, had four children: Yolanda, Martin Luther III, Dexter, and Bernice. These children were very young when Martin Luther King Jr. was tragically killed in 1968. Despite their father's early death, they have all worked hard to continue his legacy.
Yolanda Denise King (1955-2007)
Yolanda, the eldest child, was only 12 when she lost her father. She became an actress and believed her father would have been proud of her. Sadly, Yolanda passed away at the age of 51, just a year after her mother's death.
Martin Luther King III (Age 66)
Martin III, the first son, was 10 when his father died. He has dedicated his life to upholding his parents' ideals. Martin III married Arndrea Waters King and they have a daughter named after his late sister, Yolanda Renee King. He has been a mediator in important discussions, like meeting with President-elect Donald Trump and supporting Colin Kaepernick. He cherishes memories of traveling with his father and recalls him as a hands-on dad.
Dexter Scott King (Age 61)
Dexter, born in 1961, followed his father's footsteps to Morehouse College but later pursued music. He became a vegetarian, believing it enhanced his spiritual self. Dexter has faced challenges managing the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change. He has been involved in legal disputes over their father's estate and has been married to Leah Weber since 2013.
Bernice Albertine King (Age 60)
Bernice, the youngest, was only 5 when her father was assassinated. She went on to graduate from Spelman College and earn a law degree. Bernice has spoken at significant events, like the 50th anniversary of her father's "I Have A Dream" speech. She credits her mother, Coretta, as the driving force behind her father's work. Bernice has advocated for nonviolent protest methods and empathizes with children who have lost their parents to violence, like George Floyd's daughter.
Grandchildren and Siblings of MLK
Martin Luther King Jr. has one grandchild, Yolanda Renee King. He had two siblings: an older sister, Christine King Farris, and a younger brother, Alfred Daniel "A. D." King.
Lesser-Known Facts About MLK
MLK was the first Black person to be named TIME Man of the Year in 1963.
· He improvised part of his 'I Have a Dream' speech.
· King survived an assassination attempt in 1958.
· His birthday is a national holiday, making him the only non-president honored this way.
· He started college at 15, skipping several grades.
· The King family helped Julia Roberts' parents with hospital bills.
· King was arrested many times.
· His family believes James Earl Ray was framed for his assassination.
· King was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize at age 35
· He was named after the Protestant reformer Martin Luther.
Who Was Martin Luther King?
Martin Luther King Jr. was a pivotal figure in the American Civil Rights Movement and a global icon in the struggle for racial equality and social justice. Born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, he grew up in a society deeply segregated by race. King's worldview was profoundly shaped by his Christian faith and the peaceful teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
King's most significant contribution was his leadership in the American Civil Rights Movement. He believed in and advocated for nonviolent resistance, a principle he applied to combat racial discrimination. King's philosophy was deeply influenced by Christian doctrines and the nonviolent activism of Gandhi. He argued that nonviolent resistance offered a way to "fight" for civil rights without resorting to hatred or violence. This approach was revolutionary at a time when racial tensions often resulted in violence.
In 1955, King emerged as a national figure during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a protest against segregated seating on public buses in Montgomery, Alabama. His leadership in this boycott marked the beginning of a new era in the fight for civil rights. Following this, he helped to found and became the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, which aimed to harness the moral authority and organizing power of black churches to conduct nonviolent protests against the injustices of segregation.
Perhaps King's most famous moment was his "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This speech, with its powerful and visionary articulation of King's dream of a racially integrated and harmonious America, became a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement and one of the most iconic speeches in American history.
King's efforts were not limited to fighting racial segregation; he also spoke out against poverty and the Vietnam War, broadening the scope of his activism to include economic justice and peace advocacy. His stance against the Vietnam War, in particular, was controversial, showing his commitment to nonviolence and justice in all realms, not just in the struggle against racial segregation.
King's work had a monumental impact on American society. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, landmark pieces of legislation, were passed in part due to his activism and the momentum of the movement he led. These acts significantly advanced civil rights in the United States, outlawing segregation and discriminatory voting practices.
Tragically, Martin Luther King Jr.'s life was cut short when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. His death was a devastating blow to the civil rights movement, but his legacy endures. King is remembered not only as a leader of the Civil Rights Movement but as a symbol of peace, justice, and the enduring fight against inequality. His vision and actions have inspired numerous movements and individuals around the world in the ongoing struggle for civil rights and social justice.
Martin Luther King Jr. left behind a powerful legacy, not only through his significant contributions to civil rights but also through his children. Yolanda, Martin III, Dexter, and Bernice have all played roles in continuing their father's mission, each in their own unique way. They have faced challenges and successes, carrying the weight of their father's legacy.
As we remember MLK, it's important to recognize the ongoing efforts of his family in keeping his dream alive. Their lives and actions serve as a testament to MLK's enduring influence on American society and beyond.
In Memory of Dr. Martin Luther King
The Rachele
Recent Comments
48
Hi Rachele
Great summary of an incredible man! 👍👍
Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Day! 😎
Frank 🎸
Hi Frank.
Thank you for stopping by.
His vision will change the world, as we see it.
Rachele😎
Good reminder Rachele.
I can remember the day he was shot, it was world-wide news. In a motel room, as I recall. I was a young teenager then and couldn't understand how racial bias and lack of civil rights could actually exist. These were alien things to me.
A few years later saw me working in South Africa and I experienced full blown apartheid attitudes. Very strange. Why did they treat people so differently. Why did my work colleagues not approve of me saying thank you when a black waiter brought me a drink. Why could I not go in a coloured grocery shop and buy a samosa for my breakfast. Why couldn't I use "nee blanc" toilets in the town. And heaven knows what the blacks and coloureds had to tolerate. There life must have been so miserable at times. At Wits University, they were not allowed china cups for hot drinks, they had to use empty tin cans with a piece of newspaper wrapped around to form a handle.
What an eye opener it was, and thank goodness the world has now changed.
Bux
I know Frank. A lot of very upsetting things. Just as we clear one injustice, another mess comes along.
Keep rocking.
Bux
Rock on like there is no tomorrow.
I'm gently humming a few Status Quo hits. I'm up to Down, Down.
Bux
Hi Bux.
Dr. Martin Luther King fought the good fight. He lost his life because of his beliefs in equality for all people. As African Americans, aka People of Color, (no one uses the label colored anymore) we have to prove ourselves. We also prefer being called Black, versus the word Colored.
All Dr. King wanted to do was level the playing field and show us that we deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect as others.
The modern-day slavery is human trafficking.
As a person of color, I have to work 3 times harder than everyone else. I also have to prove my self-worth at every chance I get.
You were not raised to be racist. Children have to be taught to hate. Dr. King was way ahead of his time.
I am a by-product of what Dr. Martin Luther King stands for.
I am middleclass, and I live a pretty good life. I live in a $155,000/year household. All because of great leaders like Dr. King.
The cool thing is that he is well-respected by All people from all walks of life.
Rachele
Interesting. I don't see differences. In fact, my best mate is Indian. Our friendship goes back over 30 plus years and we could actually be brothers if it wasn't for skin.
What a lot of white people don't realise is that they started off as black, back in Ethiopia, however many hundreds of thousands of years ago. Our natural colour, for a human, is black and it was through defects in skin colouration that some became white. I could go on for ages, so I'll stop. I have some strong beliefs on natural selection.
Anyway, this sort of bias shouldn't exist in either direction. Does that make sense.
What a great conversation, I could e-chat for ages.
Bux
Hi Bux
Medically speaking, people who evolved in more equatorial areas of the world, like Africa, have more melanocytes in their skin to make it darker. Darker skin provides stronger sun protection against cancer-causing skin damage and wrinkle-causing subcutaneous tissue breakdown. So, a darker skin color is medically superior in this regard. 😎
The best cure for a racist or supremacist is to have them get a personal DNA analysis at 23 and me or ancestry dot com!
Nobody has a single-race analysis. I call myself Italian-American because my grandparents on both sides were born in Italy, but my analysis would show ancestral DNA from many parts of the world. Lucky me; it just makes me more diversified as a person, not inferior!
I still remember the racial segregation of the '60s, which was a lot less prevalent in the Northeastern part of the United States, where I lived, than in the Deep South.
Both my parents were very much against it and made it really clear to us as children how ridiculous it was (and still is). Growing up, two of our best friends were African-American, and we played with them every day. Ray passed away a few years ago, but I'm still in contact with his brother, Carl, a friendship that has endured for over 60 years!
Rock On! 🤘
Frank 😎
A nice story Frank. Evolution is a fascinating subject. I used to live less than a mile from Charles Darwin's house, go past it almost every day. But that is not why I like the subject.
We could have a 2 or 3 day conversation over this, and over a beer or two. I just know we are on the same wavelength.
And I think I will have one of those DNA analyses just for curiosity sake. I'm sure it will be an eye-opener.
I'll be watching more Evolution YT videos tonight now. look what you've done to me.
Hump day tomorrow, enjoy the rest of the week.
Bux.
Darwin's house, Bux? - So cool!!! 😎😎
Haha, 2 or 3 days and only 1 to 2 beers????? 🤣🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻
Rock On! 🤘🐫
Frank 🎸
Hi there, Bux.
I commend you for being one of the nicest person's on the WA platform. No wonder you are able to have a best friend who is (Indian) culturally different from you and you two get along like brothers. This is awesome.
There is supposedly evidence that the first human being was called "Lucy." Her fossils were found somewhere on the Serengeti plains of Africa probably thousands of years ago. I read about her years ago when I was visiting my mum in N.J. It is a fascinating story.
I'd like to hear more about Natural Selection one day. This makes a lot of sense; especially after reading up on "Lucy."
Nice chatting, my friend.
Rachele
In a nutshell, everybody was black and this protected them from the equatorial sun. Some of the tribe moved north into "Europe". There was less sun so less vitamin D and they got rickets. They started to die out because their legs were not strong enough to hunt. Some of the tribe had a genetic defect - paler skin. This allowed more sunlight to the skin, more vitamin D and no rickets. So the pale versions survived.
So you see, we all come from a black mother, its just that white people like me have been born along a chain of defective genes.
Do read more about it, its a fascinating story. Try and work out why a giraffe has a long neck - that is a genetic defect too.
ciao ciao
Bux
Hi there, Bux.
Where did you get all the juicy details from? I've never heard this version of hereditary information. Where do I find these historical factoids? Pretty fascinating baseline of our existence.
In terms of rickets, I have heard of them. Actually, one of the residents (a friend) at the International House in PA had rickets as a child and she still had extremely bowed legs. She eventually had surgery.
Thanks for all the bold knowledge of who we are and where we come from. However, I hope you aren't ostracized by Caucasians on this platform. There will always be a few Supremist trolls lurking in our mists. I hope to read about the 1619 Project sometime this year. It will help people like me fill in the gaps and connect the dots.
It's almost 12 midnight here so I am signing off. Another day, another dollar.
Til next post!
Rachele
Hi Rachele.
I have "studied" evolution and natural selection for many years. It's a fascinating subject and I urge you to find out more.
YouTube is now full of short videos about it, start there.
I can only speak the truth as I understand it, Rachele, without mal-intent.
I don't think anyone here will object to the science behind evolution.
We can go back even further, to the time when our ancestors came from a shrew. Why do you think that most mammals have four limbs, have toes, have a chest with lungs. have a spine and kidneys that all look and function similarly in every creature. We are all related.
I could go on for hours and hours about it.
So, that little panther is actually closer as a relative than you think.
Look after yourself.
Bux
Hi there, Bux.
Thanks for all the information. It sounds pretty fascinating. As descendants of the slave trade we must never forget our amazing historical journey.
Although my husband is Asian, he and his ancestors also have a painful past. His father was killed in a hospital where he worked as a military doctor. Scott was just about 9.
This is just one chapter of history. There are many more. The only time I was discriminated against was when I lived in the Projects of North Edison, NJ.
There was just one White family there, and the two girls Bonnie and Judy always hung out at our place. Needless to say, some of the Blacks made fun of me for being with these two sisters because they were not Black.
To me, this was just plain stupid. So, discrimination can be a two-edged sword, if you get my drift. Whites are not the only people to blame for racism. Many Blacks are racist too.
My daughter has been treated differently by some of my family members because of her lighter skin and beautiful long hair. She has endured a different type of inter-family discrimination.
That's all I got for now.
Rachele
Very interesting story Rachele.
Yes, I am aware that racism goes all ways, but best not start me on that one, I can't see a need for this to happen.
History is history, its happened and we need to get over it, especially if it happened generations ago. In the UK, there was rampant slavery among the white tribes. White slaves for white people.
My best mate, Indian, is sooo racist that we actually laugh at him when he starts. I can't see what his problem is.
Never mind Rachele, we are who we are now.
Why can't we all live in peace.
Bux
Hi there, Bux,
I appreciate all your wonderful documentation. Maybe your Indian friend should challenge the status quo and check out the interracial websites. They are ubiquitous on social media; especially on IG.
I love dining out or spending time with my ivory, yellow, brown, red, or ebony friends and we always have an amazing time. My best friend forever (BFF) is Filipino, and we are thicker than thieves.
I'd like to hear more about your Indian friend. Is he not proud to be an Indian? What seems to be his hangup?
Who doesn't like the Bollywood dancers and actors. They are incredible. And the Indian woman are gorgeous.
This is the thing, everyone wants to be somebody that they are not, instead of embracing who they are. Maybe AI will be able to fix this (lol).
We had a flash flood alert out this way. Up north was socked in too. Our freeway was shut down this afternoon. Traffic is moving again.
When we lived in Lake Elsinore, the roads would close down and I'd have to stay with a co-worker til morning. The drive down the mountain was treacherous.
How's your weather? We are expecting a warm-up next week.
Alrighty Nice chatting!
Rachele
Sami is Sami. I don't try to change him, he doesn't try to change me.
Hope you get through the floods ok. Not nice.
The roads are go to go right now, I have traveled in all types of whether. The thing that scares me the most is when the car hydroplanes and scared the heck out out of me.
This has only happened once so far.
Rachele
I know R. The only way is to drive a little slower than you think is safe. Especially if your tread depth is not too good.
Thanks for sharing your share !! I am
very confident that humanity is built on history makers !! " If we saw a seed that made history we collect the harvest which enable us to see a better future in humanity !!
Hi there, Samuel.
You are absolutely right. Humanity is built on history makers, for sure. Dr. Martin Luther King definitely planted seeds of justice and equality for all in his day and time and slowly but surely we will reap the benefits during harvest.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to acknowledge the importance of honoring one of the Greatest Trailblazer of all time.
Have a Wonderful Wednesday!
Rachele
Hello Rachele ,It is a great honor for me having such great brother's and sister's WA to share great Ideas !! I wish you all the Best !!
Yes, indeed my friend Samuel.
We are encumbered with the responsibility to carry on his legacy. His dream is still very much alive, for sure.
You enjoy an amazing weekend as well.
Rachele
The three outstanding people I admire from recent history are, in no particular order, Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth II and Dr. Martin Luther King.
Thanks for this Rachele, most interesting.
Rick
Hi there Rick.
Thank you for joining the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and Queen Elizabeth II. They are all trailblazer that have changed the course of time.
Have a Wonderful Wednesday my Friend.
Rachele
See more comments
Hey Rachele you aced this one! What a powerful tribute to MLK; a man of faith, integrity, charisma, boldness and rare fearlessness... those pictures are invaluable nuggets. I was too young to follow the legacy of this great man - growing up in Rhodesia, then Zimbabwe and so many confusing events. The melting pot of politics is intertwined with our lives and its a jig-saw puzzle with many missing pieces. Thanks Rachele
Hi there, Ernest.
I was in the 4th grade when Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. To me, Dr. Martin Luther King is one of the greatest leaders of all times.
He is the symbol of equality, non-violence and peace and he was way ahead of his time.
His legacy will be carried on, not just with his biological children and grandchild. His legacy will live on generation after generation.
I'd love to hear more about your life growing up in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe. By the way, my nephew married a young lady from Zimbabwe. They have twin boys. They live in the US but they do visit Zimbabwe, from time to time.
I love your quote "The melting pot of politics is intertwined with our lives and its a jig-saw puzzle with many missing pieces." This is very true. Especially in the United States.
My rule of thumb is that I will always respect my President of my country, no matter what. Bear in mind that I am neither Republican or Democratic; I am an Independent.
Nice Chatting, my friend.
Rachele
Hey Rachele, I will certainly tell you about life in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe over the weekend. In short blacks were legally separated from whites in Rhodesia. Indians and coloreds were categorized between whites and blacks, but they were way below the white supremacy. Schools, hospitals, buses and suburbs were allocated along racial lines, with whites getting the lion's share. Independence addressed some of these issues between 1980 and 1995. However, most of the gains from independence were eroded through corrupt political leaders. In 2000 large numbers of professionally qualified young people -aged 21 to 45 - left Zimbabwe for the diaspora. Up until now, young Zimbabweans still leave for Europe, Canada, the US, Australia, Dubai, Russia and South East Asia.
Hi Ernest,
Thanks for sharing these multi-cultural, political, and geographical events. This sounds like a great entrance for a book or documentary. These are exactly the types of social injustice and other related issues that Dr. Martin Luther King addressed and fought for.
It is understandable about the anx of the Millennials and quadragenarians relocating to other countries where they are more appreciated for their contributions to the world.
The Zimbabweans that I have met are really amazing, smart, industrious people. Thanks for this insightful, mini Masterclass in Rhodesian and Zimbabwean history. I look forward to learning more.
Happy Wednesday!
Rachele