Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, has passed away. He was 62. According to a statement acquired by people from the King Centre, Dexter died on Monday after a heroic battle with prostate cancer.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s youngest son, Dexter Scott King, has passed away. He was 62 years old.
Dexter died on Monday due to prostate cancer. pic.twitter.com/bWWzEGu1Ay
— Complex (@Complex) January 22, 2024
Leah Weber King, his wife of 11 years, said in a statement that he passed away quietly in his sleep at home in Malibu.
He gave his everything and fought this dreadful disease to the death. She noted that, like with all of his difficulties in life, he approached this one with courage and might.
Dexter, who was seven years old when his father was slain in 1968, was the chairman of the King Centre when he died.
“The son of the Civil Rights icons was the family member tasked with carrying on his father’s legacy of legally defending his efforts. He dedicated his life to the continuous preservation of his father’s legacy,” according to the King Centre statement.
Dexter was born on January 30, 1961, and was named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father “served his first pastorate.” He followed in his father’s footsteps and attended Morehouse College.
“Known to be humble about his uncanny resemblance to his father, he portrayed him in the 2002 television movie, The Rosa Parks Story,” according to the press release. Although he first moved to California to seek a career in acting, “family duty called, and he answered.”
Brother Martin Luther King III described Dexter’s death as a “sudden shock” that “was devastating.” “It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this,” he told reporters. “We ask for your prayers at this time for the entire King family.”
Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Centre and Dexter’s sister, stated that words could not express her sadness. “I’m praying for strength to get through this very difficult time,” she said.
“We send our love and deepest condolences to the King family on the passing of Dexter Scott King,” the King Centre said in a social media post. “His legacy as a humanitarian and civil rights fighter continues. “May he rest peacefully.”
Yolanda, Dexter’s sister, his mother, and all of them passed away in 2007. He is survived by his wife, sister, brother, niece, Yolanda Renee King, and other relatives. A memorial service, to be held at a later date, has yet to be announced.
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