In Memoriam: Dexter Scott King, youngest son of Martin Luther King Jr., dies at 62

Dexter Scott King, the youngest son and third child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, has died.

He was 62.

Statement on the passing of Dexter Scott King

The King Center announced in a statement that Dexter died on Monday after a “valiant battle with prostate cancer.”

“He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu,” his wife of 11 years, Leah Weber King, said in a statement.

“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,” she added.

Legacy

Dexter, who was just 7 years old when his father was assassinated in 1968, served as the chairman of the King Center at the time of his death.

Dexter Scott King (John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA • CC BY-SA 2.0)

“The son of the Civil Rights icons was the family member delegated to take on the mantle of continuing the precedent his father set by legally protecting his work. He devoted his life to the continued perpetuation of his father’s legacy,” read the King Center’s statement.

Born on Jan. 30, 1961, Decter was named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father “served his first pastorate.” He went on to follow in his father’s footsteps by attending Morehouse College.

“Known to be humble about his uncanny resemblance to his father, he portrayed him in the 2002 television movie, The Rosa Parks Story,” per the statement.

Although he initially relocated to California to pursue a career in acting, “family duty called and he answered.”

Dexter’s sister, Dr. Bernice A. King, the CEO of The King Center, said that words couldn’t express her heartbreak.

“I’m praying for strength to get through this very difficult time,” she added.

“We send our love and deepest condolences to the King family on the passing of Dexter Scott King,” The King Center shared in a statement on social media.

“His legacy as a humanitarian and Civil Rights activist lives on. May he rest in peace.”