Former NAACP president Ben Jealous and ‘Cut the Bull’ co-host Charles Love join ‘One Nation with Brian Kilmeade’ to reflect on Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy ahead of his holiday. Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, has died, the King Center announced Monday. King, 62, died after a “valiant battle with prostate cancer,” the King Center said.
Leah Weber King, King’s wife of 11 years, said in a written statement that her husband “transitioned peacefully” in his sleep at their home in California. “He gave it everything and battled this terrible disease until the end,” Weber King said. “As with all the challenges in his life, he faced this hurdle with bravery and might.”
Dexter Scott King was born in Atlanta in 1961 and was named after Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father served his first pastorate. Tragically, he was just seven years old when his father was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.
Although King initially pursued an acting career in California due to his love for the arts, he ultimately dedicated himself to legally protecting his father’s legacy and intellectual property surrounding the King family’s work. King followed in his father’s footsteps and attended Morehouse College in Atlanta.
At the time of his death, Dexter Scott King served as chairman of the King Center. He leaves behind his wife, sister Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, and brother Martin Luther King III. He was preceded in death by his mother in 2006 and his sister Yolanda in 2007.
The passing of Dexter Scott King is a significant loss, as he played a vital role in preserving his father’s legacy and continuing the fight for civil rights. His dedication to protecting the King family’s intellectual property and his leadership at the King Center will be remembered.
This news comes as the nation prepares to honor Martin Luther King Jr. on his holiday, reflecting on his contributions to the civil rights movement and his enduring legacy.
