Dexter Scott King, the son of American civil rights activist Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., passed away at the age of 62 at his California home on Monday, January 22. His death was attributed to prostate cancer. Dexter Scott King dedicated a significant part of his life to preserving the civil rights legacy of his parents, Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, serving as the chairman of the King Centre in Atlanta.
His wife, Leah Weber King, released a statement announcing his peaceful passing in his sleep. Dexter King’s death marks the loss of a key figure associated with the enduring legacy of the civil rights movement in the United States.
Born as the third child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Dexter King was named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father served as a pastor during the pivotal Montgomery bus boycott in 1955. This boycott catapulted Martin Luther King Jr. to national prominence after Rosa Parks’ arrest.
Dexter King’s childhood was profoundly impacted by the assassination of his father in April 1968 when he was just seven years old. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee, while supporting striking sanitation workers. In his 2004 memoir, “Growing Up King,” Dexter reflected on the challenges of maintaining formality and seriousness throughout his life, a stance influenced by the tragic events that shaped his early years.
Throughout his adulthood, Dexter King bore a striking resemblance to his famous father, so much so that he portrayed him in a 2002 TV movie about Rosa Parks, starring Angela Bassett. In addition to his role in preserving the civil rights legacy, Dexter King also worked to protect the King family’s intellectual property. He served as the chairman of the King Centre and was the president of the King estate.
One notable episode in King’s life was his public declaration of belief in the innocence of James Earl Ray, who pleaded guilty in 1969 to the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. In 1997, Dexter King met Ray in a Nashville prison during a push by King family members to have Ray stand trial, hoping to uncover evidence of a broader conspiracy. Dexter King publicly stated that he believed Ray was innocent, but Ray died from liver failure the following year without getting a trial.
Dexter King is survived by his wife, Leah Weber King, his older brother Martin Luther King III, his younger sister Rev. Bernice A. King, and his teenage niece Yolanda Renee King. His mother, Coretta Scott King, passed away in 2006, followed by the Kings’ oldest child, Yolanda Denise King, in 2007. Dexter Scott King’s death marks the end of an era but leaves behind a legacy of commitment to civil rights and justice.9
