King was cremated,[115] in accordance with her wishes. [8] The Kings would have another daughter, almost eight years later, named Bernice (born 1963). Yolanda Denise King, daughter and eldest child of civil rights leader the Rev. [58] Despite some early opposition to acting that she received during her controversial play in high school, King still tried to get roles and actively tried performing. Born in 1955 in Montgomery, Ala., King was just an infant when her home was bombed during the turbulent civil rights era. [47] In response to her role in the play and her own response to the role, a man wrote to Jet predicting that she would marry a white person before she was eighteen. [95] She, her brother Martin Luther King III and Al Sharpton sang We Shall Overcome in front of "The Sphere", which stood atop the World Trade Center prior to the September 11 attacks.[96]. [121] She disliked cliches used to define her father and expressed this to Attallah Shabazz, and recalled having seen a play where her father was a "wimp" and carried The Bible with him everywhere.[122]. When King was 16, she received attention in Jet in 1972, where she talked about what her father's famous name was doing for her life. In response, she pushed for "the goal" to be "color acceptance. The event was planned by survivors of the . She stated in 2000 to USA Today, that her acting "allowed me to find an expression and outlet for the pain and anger I felt about losing my father,". Her childhood experience was greatly influenced by her father's highly public activism. [32] After the funeral, she was visited by classmates from Spring Street Middle School with flowers and cards. Born on Nov. 17, 1955, in Montgomery, Ala., King was just an infant when her home was bombed during the turbulent civil rights era. "She lived with a lot of the trauma of our struggle," said the Rev. On her company's Web site, King described her mission as encouraging personal growth and positive social change. Below, she speaks at a 2000 Human Rights Campaign gala. The movement was in her DNA. Search instead in Creative? [129] On May 25, 2008, her brother Martin Luther III and his wife, Arndrea, became the parents of a baby girl and named her Yolanda Renee King, after King herself. "Daughters of M.L. [97] King and Elodia Tate co-edited the book Open My Eyes, Open My Soul: Celebrating Our Common Humanity,[98][99] published by McGraw-Hill in 2003. Martin Luther King Jr., died late Tuesday in Santa Monica, Calif. She was 51. Legal Statement. [61] Both were worried that they would not like each other due to their fathers' legacies. She died on May 15, 2007 in Santa Monica, California, USA. [36], When asked about what pressures emerged from being a daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., King stated that "as soon as people heard me speak, they would compare me to my father My siblings had the same kind of pressure. Her paternal grandfather, the Rev. She held membership at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which her father helped found in 1957, and she was a notable advocate for non-violence. Ric Feld/AFP/Getty Images I got my answer less than a decade later when, one ridiculously snowy evening in Washington, D.C., my doorbell rang. None of them have children, and there will be no third generation of Kings to carry on Martin Luther King's legacy. Family (2) Trivia (7) Daughter of Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King. }, First published on May 16, 2007 / 5:32 AM. She has mostly been in the news. Market data provided by Factset. King received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, a master's degree in theater from New York University,[59] and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Marywood University. All four of MLK's children . The statement was made while she was in the presence of 800 people who gathered to honor her father at the Everett Theatre. We compared notes about having gone to women's colleges and teased each other about the perceived weaknesses of our respective alma maters. [86], On February 1, 1994, King attempted to speak before a diverse class of students at North Central College. Bernice A. She returned to Smith College on January 26, 1989. She called him my first buddy, saying, I was tremendously loved.. May 24, 2007 #1 A friend of mines sent me these photos, so I cannot verify the authenticity.I think she looks beautiful. She allowed me to give myself permission to be me." Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. [63][64] The theater company was based in New York City and Los Angeles and focused on addressing the issues that their fathers, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, spoke of in their lifetimes. November 28, 2007 . Though her mother kept her nave to the controversies so she could "fulfill [her] objective, which was to do the play", that did not stop her from learning of the negativity implemented from her role years later. That decade saw King's acting career take off as she appeared in ten separate projects, including Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Our Friend, Martin (1999) and Selma, Lord, Selma (1999). When asked then by The Associated Press how she was dealing with the loss of her mother, King responded: "I connected with her spirit so strongly. While in high school, she gained lifelong friends. But the circumstances surrounding her death make people draw conclusions about her cause of death. During the course of her lifetime, King's name was mispronounced to the point that it bothered her. There, she joined hands with her siblings and mother along with other civil rights activists, singing We Shall Overcome. . She went to drama school, where was active in student counsels, and in 1976, she graduated from Smith College with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and African American Studies. At her father's former Atlanta church, Ebenezer Baptist, she performed a series of one-actor skits on King Day this year that told stories including a girl's first ride on a desegregated bus and a college student's recollection of the 1963 desegregation of Birmingham, Ala. She also urged the audience at Ebenezer to be a force for peace and love, and to use the King holiday each year to ask tough questions about their own beliefs on prejudice. Yolanda King, the oldest child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., died on May 15, 2007, in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 51. "[73] At this point in her life, King also served as director of cultural affairs for the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change and was tasked with raising and directing funds for all artistic events.[74]. Garrow says his first inclination when he heard of Yolanda's death was: This is it. King also voiced her dislike of the assumption that she would behave just like her mother and father, and the difficulty of being perceived as not being someone others could talk to. She held membership at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which her father helped found in 1957, and she was a notable advocate for non-violence. Funeral arrangements would be announced later, the family said in a statement. Arrangements were to be announced later, the family said in a statement. Dexter King said of his sister, "She gave me permission. Yolanda and Martin III sat nearby, numb with sadness. Yolanda King's bio. Joseph Lowery, one of her father's close aides in the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr.'s eldest child who pursued her father's dream of racial harmony through acting and motivational speaking, has died. Not long after, she collapsed in the Santa Monica . display: block; The flag at The King Center, where she was a board member, flew at half-staff on today. [119] She made it clear that month that she was not trying to fill her father's footsteps, noting jokingly that "They're too big" and that she would "fall and break [her] neck". Coretta King had established her own career as a civil rights activist, and after her husband's assassination in 1968, she founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (via Biography). Yolanda, King's nine-year-old granddaughter, made headlines just last month with her rousing speech at the March for Our Lives rally in Washington. The family did not know the cause of death but that relatives think it might have been a heart problem, he said. King spoke from the cathedral's Canterbury Pulpit, the same pulpit Martin Luther King Jr. spoke from on his last Sunday sermon before his death. [19], King, and her brother "Marty", were enrolled in the fall semester of 1965 at Spring Street Elementary School, in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia. Stepping into Tomorrow led to the formation of Nucleus in the 1980s, a theater company which King and Shabazz founded. Sharpton said Yolanda King was a "torch bearer for her parents and a committed activist in her own right. Pennsylvania police seized gloves, flashlight from home of Idaho murders suspect "Hey, hope you don't mind, but I brought Yoki and Marty with me," he apologized as the three swept up the stairs of my DuPont Circle townhouse. "[117], To the time of her death, King continued to deny that her father's dreams and ideals would be fulfilled during her lifetime. He would be killed a scant three months later by an assassin's bullet. The "commitment" to diverse members in the audience and the play itself, was what represented the opportunities for which King fought. He may be dead physically, and one day I am going to see him again".[43]. In life, she said, I had to be prim and proper and poised the King daughter. Al Sharpton called Yolanda King was a "torch bearer for her parents and a committed activist in her own right.". From left: Dexter King, the Rev. The death comes just over a year after the death of her mother, Coretta Scott King a civil rights leader in her own right at the age of 78, of complications from ovarian cancer, and after a battle with the effects from a stroke. King died late Tuesday in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 51. There, she gave a speech and made references to her past difficult experiences when first coming to the college. But walking through the first part of the exhibit I felt that terror. She was the most visible and outspoken among the Kings' four children during activities honoring this year's Martin Luther King Day in January, the first since Coretta Scott King's death. Even in her infancy, Yolanda was faced with the threats her father was given when they extended to his family. Klein said the family did not know the cause of death but that relatives think it might have been a heart problem. display: none; King cried when she found out her father had been imprisoned. I thought of that evening often over the years, the unexpected appearance of the living children of a beloved icon. Young said she was going to her brother Dexter's home when she collapsed in the doorway and "they were not able to revive her.". Jesse Jackson, an aide of Martin Luther King Jr. "The movement was in her DNA. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Only a year earlier, Coretta Scott King, wife of MLK and mother to Yolanda, died from complications of ovarian cancer at the age of 78. Yolanda King's career proved equally successful as she used both entertainment and oratory to advance her family's message. I don't have to try and prove anything to anyone anymore. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, [10], Her mother referred to her as being a confidant during the time following her husband's assassination. "[126] Like her parents and siblings, King did not publicly affiliate with a political party. Still Far From Living King's Dream, His Daughter Says", "LOVE WILL LIGHT WAY, KING'S DAUGHTER SAYS", "25th anniversary of death of Martin Luther King, Jr. is observed across USA", "KING'S DAUGHTER TO INTERPRET DREAM FOR DENVER", "WATTS: Show Stirs Memories for King's Daughter", "Daughter Yolanda King And Sinfonietta Honor Her Dad", "King Family Makes Appeal For Trial for James Earl Ray", "More Need To Hear Yolanda King's 'Music', "King's daughter recalls father's message", "King's 'Dream' Endures in Mix of Music, Drama", "Yolanda King, 51; actress, child of civil rights leader", "Coretta Scott King to Remain Hospitalized at Least a Week", "Relative Says Mrs. King Had Minor Stroke", "Yolanda King, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., dies", "Eldest daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. dies", "Yolanda King's body brought back to Atlanta", "King's Dream Of Unity Reflected In Celebrations", "King's dream still worth pursuing, daughter says", "Civil-rights leader's daughter to speak", "King's Daughter Urges Students To Get Involved", "Task Force mourns death of Yolanda King 'An unwavering voice for equality and justice', "Out & Equal Mourns the Passing of Civil Rights Leader", "Yolanda King's sudden death shocks family, friends", "After 'March', feeling hopeful about the 'Dream', In Black America; Yolanda King: Understanding The Black Struggle,, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yolanda_King&oldid=1136984705, Felecia Hunter, in the 1978 television miniseries, Melina Nzeza as a child and Ronda Louis-Jeune as an adult, in the 2013 television movie, This page was last edited on 2 February 2023, at 04:20. "[100] While in Dallas in March 2004, King related; "It's only in the past half-dozen years or so that I have felt comfortable in my own skin. Information about the death of Yolanda King; Cause of death: Heart Attack: Age of death: 51 years: Profession: Civil Rights Leader: Birthday: November 17, 1955: Death date: March 15, 2007: Place of death: N/A: Place of burial: N/A: Quotes. After her hour-long presentation, she joined her sister and her aunt, Christine King Farris, in signing books. Yolanda King was born on November 17, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA. [82], 25 years after her father's assassination, she went to his gravesite. The cause of death was believed to be heart disease. To Yolanda, it seemed as if adults naturally went to jail occasionally, because all those she knew seemed to do that. 683 Yolanda King Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 683 yolanda king stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [20] Soon thereafter, they would be joined by their younger brother Dexter. She also urged the audience at Ebenezer to be a force for peace and love, and to use the King holiday each year in January to ask tough questions about their own beliefs on prejudice. Yolanda King's cause of death remains unknown, although her family including her sister Bernice King and two brothers, Martin and Dexter King believe a heart problem may have contributed to her death (via NPR). Yolanda King was the most visible and outspoken among the Kings' four children during activities honoring this year's Martin Luther King Day in January, the first since Coretta Scott King's death. Bernice King at Yolanda King Memorial May 24, 2007 DryerBuzz An Original Digital 2.67K subscribers 309K views 15 years ago When Bernice brings the word, let's just say the word is delivered.. "[94] Following the September 11 attacks, King spoke in North Chicago in 2002 and related that her father's wisdom during the crisis would have been of great aid to her. Yolanda Denise King, daughter and eldest child of the Rev. [50] [77] On January 17, 1991, Yolanda spoke before a crowd of students at Edmonds Community College, around 200 in number. Klein said the family did not know the cause of death but think it might have been a heart problem. It was the first time she had ever been arrested. This, and other experiences, prompted a 7-year-old Yolanda to tell her friends (via Stanford), "Look, all I want is to just be treated like a normal child.". Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who melded her father's. [30] Four days later, she and her family accompanied their mother to Memphis City Hall on her own terms, as she and her brothers had wanted to come. She was an actress and writer, known for King (1978), JAG (1995) and Death of a Prophet (1981). [51], After graduating from high school, she went to Smith College. She appeared in numerous films and played Rosa Parks in the 1978 miniseries King. Yolanda King was born on November 17, 1955 and died on May 15, 2007. One of her father's close aides in the civil rights movement, the Rev. King and Dexter were in favor of sale, but their other siblings were not. "[109] She found her mother's personal papers in her home. Heart Attack caused Yolanda King's death in 2007. A flag at The King Center, which King's mother founded in 1968 and where she was a board member, was lowered to half-staff on Wednesday. Many in attendance did not know her, but came out of respect for the King family's history of peace protests and social justice. Four days later, she and her brothers accompanied their mother to appear at Memphis City Hall. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. She just moved upstairs." The other indelible image is of Mrs. King and her children. Assassination of John F. Kennedy and Nobel Peace Prize: 19631964, Enrollment at Spring Street Elementary School and last years with father: 19651968, Immediate life after Smith College: 19761978, King holiday, arrests, and return to Smith College: 19801989, Arizona boycott and James Earl Ray retrial: 19901999, Mother's death, sibling dispute and final months: 20062007. Yolanda King is survived by her sister, the Rev. Instead, the two quickly found common ground in their activism and in their positive outlook towards the future of African-Americans. [50] King would ultimately attend Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts after graduating from high school. Ms. King graduated from Smith College and earned a master of fine arts degree from New York University. [80] That same year, she also spoke at Indiana University. Despite this, Shabazz still appeared in the state and performed in the play. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "[87] In July 1994, after seeing some photographs of her father prior to his death, Yolanda lamented that "this [had] brought back a lot of memories. [116], Bernice King said it was "very difficult standing here blessed as her one and only sister. In the interview with the magazine, she related how people expected her to be "stuck up" and referred to it as one of the "handicaps" of being Martin Luther King's child. Higher Ground Productions: www.yolanda-king.com, Yolanda King, daughter of MLK Jr., dies at 51.
