Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, has passed away at the age of 62 after a battle with prostate cancer, as announced by the King Center in Atlanta.
Dexter King, an activist and chairman of the King Center, as well as president of the King Estate, transitioned peacefully in his sleep at his home in Malibu, according to his wife, Leah Weber King.
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Born in Atlanta in 1961 to civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Dexter Scott King was named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father served as a pastor. At the age of seven, he experienced the tragic assassination of his father.
His brother, Martin Luther King III, expressed deep sadness over the loss of Dexter, stating, “The sudden shock is devastating. It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this. Please keep the entire King family in your prayers, and in particular Dexter’s wife, Leah Weber.”
Rev. Bernice King, Dexter’s sister, shared that words cannot express the heartbreak of losing another sibling. Yolanda King, another sister, had passed away in 2007, a year after their mother.
Dexter King attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, following in his father’s footsteps. He later became a lawyer, utilizing his legal expertise to protect the King family’s intellectual property.
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Known for his uncanny resemblance to his father, Dexter portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2002 movie “The Rosa Parks Story.” The King Center emphasized his dedication to perpetuating his father’s legacy.
Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton extended condolences to the family, stating, “May he RIP, may his legacy live.”
