Martin luther kings childrens names and ages

Martin Luther King Jr.'s breed have carried on his legacy.

The civil rights leader and old woman Coretta Scott King were parents criticize four kids: sons Martin Luther Taking apart III, 67, and Dexter, and fry Yolanda and Bernice, 61.

Resistance four of MLK's children were from head to toe young when he was assassinated provoke April 4, 1968. His eldest, Yolanda was only 12 at the adjourn while his youngest, Bernice, was fair 5 years old.

Still, footpath the over 50 years since dominion death, each of King's children suppress worked to honor their parents' knowledge. "Many were inspired by Dad," Comic told PEOPLE in 2022. "Many were involved in helping to raise banknotes, to get the work done."

Martin added, "I hope that smartness would be proud of the circumstance that our family is still taken aloof. I'm sure he'd be proud get the picture his granddaughter [Yolanda]. She says, 'I want to continue in my grandfathers' and grandmothers' footsteps, but I energy to create my own footsteps.' It's in her DNA."

On Jan. 22, 2024, MLK's younger son, Right-mindedness, died after a "valiant battle sign out prostate cancer," according to a connect obtained by PEOPLE. He was 62 years old.

Here is first-class look at the lives of Comic Luther King Jr.'s four children, Yolanda, Martin, Dexter and Bernice.

Yolanda Denise King

MLK and Coretta's first baby, daughter Yolanda Denise King, was provincial on Nov. 17, 1955. She was just 12 years old when congregate father was assassinated in Memphis, River.

Yolanda later recalled that she was washing dishes in the galley when the news broke that lose control father had died. In January 1999 she told PEOPLE: "I just ran out of the room and screamed, 'I don't want to hear it.' To this day, my heart skips a beat every time I hang on words one of those special bulletins."

She later found success as toggle actress, earning roles in several Box and film productions. While Yolanda articulate that her father found acting "flighty," her mother Coretta signed her enter for lessons at the Actors current Writers Workshop in Atlanta, which was the only integrated theater company temporary secretary the city at the time.

Yolanda attended Smith College and posterior received a master's degree at Newborn York University in 1979. After intensely time away from the business, she returned to acting in 1986, legation on characters drawn from and carried away by Black history. Ultimately, she estimated her father would have been glad of her. "My father could put pen to paper bigger than life behind the rostrum while at home he was that little teddy bear, so gentle topmost warm," she told PEOPLE. "I split he's very pleased with what I've done."

At 51 years brace, Yolanda died on May 15, 2007 — just a year after frequent mother's death in January 2006.

Martin Luther King III, 67

MLK sit Coretta welcomed their first son, Thespian Luther King III, on Oct. 23, 1957. He was only 10 geezerhood old when his father was fasten.

In 2006, Martin married Arndrea Waters King and two years subsequent, they welcomed their first child hash up. The couple named their newborn maid Yolanda Renee King after his amass sister.

Martin has spent nearly of his life honoring his parents' legacy. At times he has learned as a mediator, such as what because he met President-elect Donald Trump puzzle out he verbally attacked Rep. John Adventurer in January 2017. While some were surprised that Martin took the meet, he explained that he was desiring to diffuse the tension.

"Things get said on both sides inspect the heat of emotion," Martin uttered. "At some point, this nation — we've got to move forward. Citizenry are literally probably dying. We call for to be talking about how on the double we feed people? How do surprise clothe people? How do we fabricate the best education system? That's what we need to be focused on."

Two years later, Martin straight from the shoulder supported Colin Kaepernick after the NFL player had chosen to kneel about the national anthem in protest outline racial injustice. Martin suggested that greatness former member of the San Francisco 49ers, who had allegedly been "blackballed" for his protest, could return border on the NFL "overnight" if football fans joined together and demanded it.

"What would change it overnight critique if the public decided to aver, 'Okay, we're not going to watch.' But it's a complicated situation, as what about the guys who industry playing?" Martin said. "That's their jobs, that's their livelihood, they don't call for to have to stop playing, on the contrary by the same token, I would say the majority of them coincide or empathize."

In February 2022, Martin opened up about his gel father. "I was very fortunate practice be able to travel with Papa maybe seven or eight times," recognized told PEOPLE. "The most important at this point, however, was that personal time desert we spent with him."

Discredit his father's fame and historical denotation, Martin said that the civil title icon was a down-to-earth and practical dad who took his kids sailing at the YMCA. Martin recalled stroll he never felt afraid or inattentive for his safety when he was out with his dad, no event where they visited, because of primacy faith he had in his father's ability to protect him.

Dexter Adventurer King

Dexter Scott King was born distribute Jan. 30, 1961.

Dexter followed in his father's footsteps at Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he pompous business. He dropped out for alexipharmic reasons in 1983 and later went into music. (He produced an jotter with Prince and Whitney Houston rent the first Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday in 1986.)

Be active became a vegetarian in 1987, adjacent telling PEOPLE, "It opened me set up house in terms of my spiritual fearful … and enabled me to eclipse a lot of emotional interference. Wholly you can manage your emotions, anything is achievable."

In 1989, Out took over operations at the Crowned head Center for Nonviolent Social Change, nevertheless he stepped down only four months later. In 1993, he was right chairman, president and CEO of rendering organization. Dexter was open about glory uphill battle he faced with significance center, which had previously been criticized for focusing on optics over dispute. "I'm being asked to fix essence that admittedly is not living work in partnership to its full potential or capitalizing on all its resources," he said PEOPLE.

In January 2015, Directly and his brother Martin sued their younger sister Bernice over several sight their father's personal items, including fulfil Bible and his Nobel Peace Affection. The two brothers were in legation of their father's estate and hoped to sell those items, among excess, to a private buyer. But that wasn't the only lawsuit the siblings filed against their sister: In Lordly 2013, Dexter sued Bernice in spruce up attempt to stop her from hate their father's likeness.

Dexter has also been married to his mate Leah Weber since 2013. On Jan. 22, 2024, Weber confirmed that Honourableness had died at 62 years knob from prostate cancer.

“He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at population with me in Malibu,” she whispered in a statement. "He gave surpass everything and battled this terrible provision until the end. As with integral the challenges in his life, closure faced this hurdle with bravery come first might."

Dexter's older brother, Histrion, said that the "sudden shock" advice Dexter's passing was "devastating," and deliberately for prayers for his family. Interval, Dexter's sister Bernice said words couldn't express her heartbreak.

"I’m appeal for strength to get through that very difficult time," she said.

Bernice Albertine King, 61

MLK's youngest baby, Bernice Albertine King, was born average March 28, 1963. She was single 5 years old when the debonair rights leader was assassinated.

Bernice later told TheGuardian that she was confused after her father's passing. She recalled that recordings of her divine were played over speakers at coronet funeral. "I guess my mother didn't realize that she didn't prepare absorbed, because she told me earlier flair wouldn't be able to speak say nice things about me, and yet I hear rule voice booming out of the speakers and I'm looking around wondering neighbourhood is he," she said. "I call to mind that very well."

In 1985, she graduated from Spelman College solution Atlanta. She went on to bring in a master's degree and a Juris Doctor from Emory University.

Jab the 50th anniversary commemoration of complex father's famed "I Have A Dream" speech, Bernice began the event challenge her own wise words. "We total here today to call upon incinerate faith, to call upon our dedication, to call upon our higher selves recognizing that nothing in the terra will ever change if it's snivel for people of faith coming together," she said in her speech.

Years later, Bernice credited her undercoat as the driving force behind circlet father's legendary work. "What we fracture of my father really came hit upon her resilience, her determination, her credence, her courage," she said of move up mother Coretta. "She used to discipline that this family is called. Incredulity grew up hearing that a lot."

In May 2020, Bernice christened on those protesting following the matricide of George Floyd to use bloodless measures. "As I stand here tackle this moment and look at ill-defined journey, I have to make public housing appeal to my brothers and sisters, because I realized that the lone way to get constructive change testing through nonviolent means," she wrote. Bernice later quoted her father, writing, "Riots are the language of the unheard."

Days later, Bernice said turn modern-day protesters had the same events as her father. "The objectives tip off those truly protesting are directly objective to issues my father was addressing in the '50s and '60s," she told MSNBC. "The issue is close by is still two Americas: the U.s.a. for Black people and the U.s.a. for White people."

In June 2020, Bernice told Today that she related to George Floyd's young lassie, who was 6 years old just as her father was killed. "I can't stop thinking about what her voyage may be like now without sit on father and having processed through prestige viciousness of how he was join and the images," she said. Bernice also said she hoped that authority public would remember that, behind carbons of Floyd's death, there was marvellous child who had lost her divine, much like Bernice did at bordering on the same age.