The King Center Announces The Passing Of Chairman And Leader Dexter Scott King, Son Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And Coretta Scott King

The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change sadly announced the passing of Dexter Scott King, the youngest son and the third child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King.

The civil rights leader’s youngest son, who was 62, died Jan. 22 following a battle with prostate cancer. Born in Atlanta, Dexter would have celebrated his 63rd birthday on Jan. 30. He was named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father served his first pastorate.

Dexter was the second-born son of Dr. and Mrs. King and was only 7 years old when his father was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968. Like his father, he grew up in the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where his grandfather served as pastor. The son of the civil rights figure graduated from Frederick Douglass High School, where he played football and participated in many other school activities. He was an alumnus of HBCU Morehouse College.

He married his best friend and longtime partner Leah Weber King, a New Orleans native, former broadcast journalist, entrepreneur, and consultant, in a private ceremony in July 2013. The couple built a life of support and unconditional love, much like that of Dexter’s mother and father.

“He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu,” his widow, Leah, shared. “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.”

His sister, Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center, said, “Words cannot express the heartbreak I feel from losing another sibling. I’m praying for strength to get through this tough time.” His brother, Martin Luther King III, added, “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.”

The son of the civil rights icons was the sibling who to took on the mantle of continuing the precedent his father set by legally protecting his work. Dexter had become well versed in intellectual property law and its management and licensing, and devoted his life to perpetuating his father’s legacy and protecting the intellectual property his father left behind.

At the time of his death, Dexter served as both chairman of The King Center and president of the King estate.

Known to be humble about his uncanny resemblance to his father, he portrayed him in the 2002 television movie “The Rosa Parks Story.” He loved the creative arts and at one point relocated to California to pursue a career in acting. However, family duty called and he answered, living out the rest of his life balancing both his love of the arts and his responsibilities to the King family legacy.

Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN), issued the following statement on the passing of Dexter King, the second son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

“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 was only seven when his hero, his role model, and, most importantly, his father was taken from us. He turned that pain into activism, however, and dedicated his life to advancing the dream Martin and Coretta Scott King had for their children, their grandchildren, and all the generations to come after. My love and prayers are with my brother, Martin III, Arndrea, Yolanda, and Bernice. We mourn with them for the loss of their brother — our brother — who left us far too soon.”

He was preceded in death by his father (1968), his mother (2006), and sister Yolanda (2007). He is survived by his wife of 11 years, Leah; his sister, Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King; his brother, Martin Luther King III; and his niece, Yolanda Renee King.

The King family will respond to media inquiries following a press conference planned for Tuesday, Jan. 23, at 10:00 a.m. ET, at The King Center’s Yolanda D. King Theatre, inside Freedom Hall.

An announcement of the date and time of Dexter Scott King’s memorial service is forthcoming.