Youngest son of Martin Luther King Jr. dies

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Dexter Scott King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s son and King Center chairman, died Monday, the King Center announced.

The youngest son and third child of MLK and Coretta Scott King, Dexter passed away after a long battle with prostate cancer at his home in Malibu, the King Center said.

“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,” Leah Weber, his wife, said in a release from the King Center.

Dexter was the chairman of the King Center and was also president of the King Estate.

“Words cannot express the heartbreak I feel from losing another sibling. I’m praying for strength to get through this very difficult time,” Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King said.

Martin Luther King III, Dexter’s older brother, said the sudden shock of his brother’s death was devastating.

“It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this,” he said. “We ask for your prayers at this time for the entire King family.”

The third child of the Kings, Dexter was born in Atlanta on Jan. 30, 1961. The King Center said Dexter was named after Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, which is where his father gave his first pastorate.

“He was always a person who had his eyes on the horizon,” said Atlanta City Councilmember Michael Julian Bond, who grew up on the same street at the Kings.

Bond described Dexter King as a visionary, someone who always worked to make his father’s legacy and the civil rights movement more relatable.

“He was able to follow in the footsteps of his parents and make a way, but he was also able to do the greatest achievement of any individual, to be his authentic self,” said Bond, in an interview with Atlanta News First, on Monday.

He grew up in Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church and was a graduate of Frederick Douglas High School. The King Center said Dexter followed in his father’s footsteps and went to Morehouse College.

“The son of the Civil Rights icons was the family member delegated to take on the mantel of continuing the precedent his father set by legally protecting his work,” the King Center said in a release. “He devoted his life to the continued perpetuation of his father’s legacy and the protection of the intellectual property his father left behind.”

Along with his work at the King Center, Dexter also portrayed his father in the 2002 television movie, “The Rosa Parks Story.”

“The actor had a love for the creative arts and initially relocated to California to pursue a career in acting. But family duty called and he answered, living out the rest of his life balancing both his love of the arts and his duties to the King family legacy,” the King Center said in a release.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Dexter’s “profound and unwavering love for his family positioned him as a guardian of his father and mother’s legacies.”

“Dexter held various titles — Morehouse man, humanitarian, Civil Rights activist, and even actor. However, above all, he was a devoted family man. My heartfelt sympathies go out to his wife, Leah Weber King, Dr. Bernice King, Martin Luther King III, their entire extended family and all who knew and loved him,” Dickens said.

“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Dexter Scott King on his passing,” Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs said in a statement. “The Georgia NAACP joins the nation in mourning the loss of a remarkable individual whose life was dedicated to advancing civil rights, equality, and justice.”

“Dexter Scott King’s life and contributions will leave a lasting impact on the legacy of the King family and the broader struggle for equality and justice. We express our sincere condolences to his wife Leah Weber King, Martin Luther King III, Dr. Bernice King, the King Center, and all who cherished him. His contributions to Civil Rights and his role as a member of Atlanta’s beloved family will leave an indelible mark on our society. His memory will be a source of inspiration and may those in mourning find solace and comfort at this difficult time,” the Atlanta City Council said in a statement.

In a tweet on X, formerly Twitter, Gov. Brian Kemp said, “Marty, the girls, and I are saddened to hear of the passing of Dexter Scott King following his difficult bout with cancer.”

“Our thoughts are with the entire King family at this time,” Kemp said.

“As a voice for Georgians in the Senate and the pastor of the King family’s spiritual home, I was saddened to learn of the passing of Dexter King, son of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King,” U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock said. “I prayed earlier today with the King family, and I join the citizens of our state, nation, and the global beloved community in extending my deepest condolences, strength, and solidarity to them during this time of remembrance and grief. May God comfort Dexter’s wife, Leah; his siblings, Martin King III, and Rev. Bernice King; and grant to their entire family a peace that surpasses human understanding.”

Memorial services will be announced at a later time.

This is a developing story. Check back with Atlanta News First for updates.

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