Who Are Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King's Kids? All About the Racial Justice Activists' Family
Learn more about the four children of MLK and Coretta Scott King.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King were the proud parents of four children.
Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King, and Bernice Albertine King have dedicated their lives to continuing their parents' fights for nonviolence and racial, social, and economic justice for all. Get to know Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King's kids, including what they're doing now, how old they are, and how they're honoring their parents' legacy.
Who are Martin Luther King, Jr.'s kids?
Martin Luther King was father to sons Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King and daughters Yolanda and Bernice King.
Related: In Honor of Black History Month, 30 Black History Facts You May Not Be Aware Of
Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.'s first kid?
Born Nov. 17, 1955, Yolanda Denise King was Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King's first child. She was subjected to death threats regularly. When Martin Luther King, Jr. was in jail, Yolanda didn't understand why until she requested to go to a local amusement park called Funtown with her classmates—but was prohibited from doing so because of her race. At that point, Coretta Scott explained to Yolanda that her father was in jail so Yolanda "can go to Funtown," and Yolanda was able to wrap her head around the idea. Martin Luther King, Jr. recalled the Funtown incident in his "Letter From Birmingham Jail."
Yolanda was just 12 years old when her father was assassinated.
Yolanda was an advocate for racial and social justice, workers' rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, and general nonviolence. Below, she speaks at a 2000 Human Rights Campaign gala.
Yolanda died in May 2007 at age 51. The King family has stated that she passed away from a heart condition. She reportedly told her brother Dexter that she was tired, citing her busy schedule for her fatigue—but collapsed an hour later and never woke up.
How old would Martin Luther King, Jr. be today?
King would have turned 94 on Jan. 15, 2023.
How old is Coretta Scott King?
Coretta Scott King died on Jan. 30, 2006, when she was 78 years old. If she were alive at the time of this writing in January 2023, she would be 95 years old.
Related: 24 Inspiring, Joyful and Tear-Jerking Movies You Should Stream for Black History Month
Does Martin Luther King Jr. have grandchildren?
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King have one grandchild. Their son Martin Luther King III and his wife, Arndrea Waters King, share a daughter Yolanda Renee King, born in 2008. She is named after King III's late sister, Yolanda Denise King. Yolanda Renee King is 14 years old. In January 2022, a charming Yolanda Renee King gave a speech on the importance of voting rights.
In 2021, Yolanda Renee King was a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where she said she wants to "finish what [her grandfather] couldn't finish" in terms of racial, social, and economic justice for all.
In August 2020, she spoke at the March on Washington.
Related: Black Entrepreneurs, Authors and Businesses to Support During Black History Month
Does Martin Luther King have a son?
Martin Luther King, Jr., has two sons, Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King.
What did Martin Luther King III do?
Following in his father's footsteps, Martin Luther King III is a human rights activist, fighting against the plagues of racism, militarism and poverty. He served as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference from 1997 through the end of 2003.
King III is an outspoken advocate against violence of any kind, including police brutality, the seemingly endless Iraq War and the death penalty.
In February 2020, King III admonished then-President Donald Trump's attorney Kenneth Starr for quoting Martin Luther King, Jr. during impeachment hearings against Trump, saying in a statement, "Martin Luther King Jr.’s name is synonymous with justice and fairness. He certainly believed that justice and fairness should be available to everyone. But what mockery, what hypocrisy, and rank opportunism to equate my father’s views about 246 years of enslavement and almost 100 years of segregation and their client’s intent to undermine constitutional governance."
Related: How To Talk To Your Kids About Black History Month—And 25 Ways To Honor It
King III is also an advocate for workers' rights, supporting unions and collective bargaining, as well as for immigrants, comparing draconian immigration policies to the Jim Crow South. He is the founder of Realizing the Dream, which became part of the King Center. He is also a founder of Bounce TV and a member of the Let America Vote Board of Advisors.
How old is MLK III?
Born Oct. 23, 1957, Martin Luther King III is 65 years old at the time of this writing.
Related: 120 Inspiring Quotes for Black History Month: ‘Freedom Is Never Given’
Did Coretta Scott King remarry?
Coretta Scott King didn't remarry after Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death.
What is Bernice King known for?
Bernice King is a minister and public speaker. She studied psychology at Spelman University, later getting a law degree from Emory University and got a master's in divinity from Emory's Candler School of Theology. She was the second woman ever to be ordained at the Ebenezer Baptist Church and is the author of Hard Questions, Heart Answers: Sermons and Speeches, a book of her published sermons.
Like her father and brother Martin Luther King III before her, she served as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference starting in 2009, but stepped down in 2011. In 2012, she was named CEO of the King Center.
King has been an outspoken advocate for immigrants' rights and against police brutality. She marched against same-sex marriage in 2004, the only member of her family to do so (mother Coretta Scott King and sister Yolanda were advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights), but seemed to change her mind on that later: In 2015, she applauded the Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage.
She is also a voting rights activist.
Related: 10 Movies to Watch to Honor Martin Luther King Jr.
Where is Bernice King?
Bernice King is based in Atlanta.
How old is Bernice King?
Born March 28, 1963, Bernice King is 59 years old at the time of this writing.
How much is Rev. Bernice King worth?
Rev. Bernice King has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million.
What is Dexter King doing now?
Dexter King is an author, filmmaker, and activist, focusing his media projects on civil rights and racial and social justice. He is committed to his family's mission to end violence of all forms.
In 1997, Dexter met with James Earl Ray, who denied assassinating Martin Luther King, Jr. Dexter said after the meeting that he believed Ray was innocent of the murder. Dexter has said he believes there was a plot to assassinate King Jr. that went up the chain as far as then-President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Who is Dexter King's wife?
Dexter King married Leah Weber in 2013. According to the Associated Press, Weber is a former broadcast journalist and entrepreneur from New Orleans. The pair divide their time between Atlanta, where King works for the King Center, and Malibu, Calif., where he has had a home for more than a decade.
What does Dexter King do for a living?
Dexter Scott King is President of the King Center and an author and filmmaker. One of his projects, the animated Our Friend Martin, was nominated for an Emmy. He is the author of Growing Up King: An Intimate Memoir.
How old is Dexter King?
At the time of this writing, Dexter King is 61 years old. His birthday is Jan. 30, 1961.
Next, here are 25 books to read during Black History Month and beyond.
