Dexter King, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Youngest Son, Dead At 62
Dexter Scott King, Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King's youngest son, died on January 22, 2024 at age 62. The King Center shared the sad news, according to AP News, noting its chairman had prostate cancer. Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton shared The King Center's press release in its entirety via X, formerly known as Twitter.
In the statement, Dexter's wife, Leah Weber King, spoke about his cancer fight: "[Dexter] transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu. 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 and Leah had been married for a decade at the time of his death.
Dexter was an attorney and the King estate's president. He is survived by his wife and his two living siblings, Martin Luther King III and Dr. Bernice A. King. (Their eldest sibling, Yolanda King, died in 2007.) The King Center's release on Dexter's death included statements from his siblings, as well. Bernice shared, "Words cannot express the heart break I feel from losing another sibling."
Dexter also did acting work and played his father
In Martin Luther King III's statement, he said, "The sudden shock is devastating. It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this" (via CNN). He then asked for prayers for his family and, more specifically, Dexter Scott King's wife, Leah Weber.
Dexter honored his parents' legacies by protecting them. The King Center wrote, "He devoted his life to the continued perpetuation of his father's legacy and the protection of the intellectual property (IP) his father left behind. ... Becoming well versed in intellectual property law, and its management and licensing was the result of his dedication to the delegated task and the memory of both his father and mother" (via X).
Dexter's physical likeness matched that of his father. According to IMDb, Dexter voiced the 34-year-old version of his father in 1999's "Our Friend, Martin" special and brought him to life in live-action format for the 2002 film "The Rosa Parks Story," starring honorary Oscar-winner Angela Bassett as Parks. Although Dexter considered an acting career after that role, he instead focused on his other endeavors.