Martin Luther King’s son, Dexter Scott King dies at 62

The younger son of a civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, Dexter Scott King, has died after battling prostate cancer.

His death was disclosed in a statement shared on the King Centre’s Facebook page late Monday.

The King Centre in Atlanta, which Dexter King served as chairperson, said the 62-year-old son of the civil rights leader died at his California home.

According to his wife, Leah Weber King, he died peacefully in his sleep.

Born in Atlanta on January 30, 1961, Dexter King was named for the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Alabama where his father once served as pastor.

He was seven years old when his father, Martin Luther King Jr, was assassinated in 1968. He was the third of the Kings’ four children.

The statement read, “The King Centre sadly announces that Dexter Scott King, the younger son and third child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And Mrs. Coretta Scott King, has passed today, January 22, 2024, after a valiant battle with prostate cancer.

“He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu”, says his best friend of 21 years, his strongest supporter, and wife of 11 years, Leah Weber King.

“He gave it everything and battled this terrible disease until the end. As with all the challenges in his life, he faced this hurdle with bravery and might.”

Dexter King became an attorney and focused on shepherding his father’s legacy as well as protecting the King family’s intellectual property. He was also the president of the King’s estate.