Days after the nation celebrated his father, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dexter Scott King passed away at the age of 62.
According to The King Center, the civil rights activist’s youngest son died after a battle with prostate cancer on Monday, January 22. “He transitioned peacefully while he was sleeping at my house in Malibu,” his wife Leah Weber King shared. “He gave his all and fought this terrible disease until the end. As with all the challenges in his life, he faced this obstacle with courage and power.”
Dexter Scott King’s sister and executive director of the King Center, the Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, also stated: “Words cannot express the anguish I feel at losing another brother. “I am praying for strength to get through this very difficult time.”
Martin Luther King, III, later added: “The sudden shock is devastating. It’s hard to find the right words at a time like this. We ask for his prayers at this time for the entire King family.”
Dexter Scott King was born in Atlanta on January 30, 1961 and named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. This is the church where his father served his first pastorate. He is the second child of Dr. and Mrs. King. He was only seven years old when his father was murdered in Memphis, Tennessee.
Dexter Scott King ‘dedicated’ his life to the continued preservation of his father’s legacy
The King Center also stated that Dexter Scott King had dedicated his life to “the continued perpetuation of his father’s legacy.”
“At the time of his death, Dexter was serving as president of the King Center and president of the King Estate,” the King Center revealed. “The knowledge of intellectual property law, its management and licensing was the result of dedication to the delegated task and the memory of both his father and his mother.”
Dexter Scott King was preceded in death by his father, mother and sister Yolanda. She is survived by his wife Leah, his sister Bernice, his brother Martin Luther King III, his niece Yolanda Renee King, as well as numerous immediate and extended family members.
The King family added that they request privacy at this time. They will respond to media inquiries following a press conference on Tuesday, January 23 at The King Center. A memorial service will be announced at a later date.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn