Dexter King was an American civil and animal rights activist, attorney, and author. King was born at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He was named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father served as a pastor before relocating to the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
Bio/Wiki
Age-62 years
Full name-Dexter Scott King
Height- 1.85 m
Weight- 86 kg
Born-January 30, 1961
Died-January 22, 2024
Birthplace-Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Spouse-Leah Weber (m. 2013)
Profession-Author, Actor, Civil rights activist, Advocate
Nationality- American
Family
His parents are Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, with his father being a prominent civil rights leader. He was the grandson of Martin Luther King Sr.
Sibling
He also had siblings, namely Martin Luther King III, Bernice King, and Yolanda King.
Wife
Dexter tied the knot with Leah Weber in a private ceremony in California in July 2013.
Children
Dexter had no children.
Education
King enrolled at Morehouse College, focusing on business administration from 1979 to 1984. However, he departed from Morehouse before completing his degree.
Career
At the age of seven, King witnessed the tragic assassination of his father while watching television with his brother, Martin III, during a news flash about the shooting.
Harry Belafonte’s assistance ensured that King and his siblings received an education, as he had established a trust fund for them before their father’s death. King’s interest in politics grew after attending the Democratic National Convention in 1972.
In May 1989, King’s mother designated him, at the age of twenty-eight, as her successor at the King Center. Despite expressing early interest in transforming the center into a “West Point of nonviolent training,” King faced a dispute with his mother and resigned just four months into the presidency. He later resumed the role in 1994, implementing changes that scaled back the King Center’s influence.
A committed vegan and animal rights activist, King embraced vegetarianism in the late 1980s and was influenced by Dick Gregory.
King participated in the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington in 2013, the event where his father delivered the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. He also lent his voice to portray his father’s 34-year-old self in the 1999 educational film “Our Friend, Martin,” which received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Animated Program.
In the 2002 American television movie “The Rosa Parks Story,” King portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. In 1997, Dexter met with James Earl Ray, the man imprisoned for his father’s 1968 murder, and held a belief in a conspiracy that extended to President Lyndon B. Johnson. King convinced Andrew Young to reconsider his position on the assassination, arguing that it was essential to uncover the truth.
Net Worth
At the time of his passing, King’s net worth is estimated to be around 10 million dollars.
Cause of Death
The King Center has announced the passing of Dexter Scott King, the youngest son and third child of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
King, who battled prostate cancer, passed away on Jan. 22 at the age of 62. According to the King Center, he transitioned peacefully in his sleep at his home in Malibu. Leah Weber King, his best friend of 21 years and wife of 11 years, expressed his valiant fight against the disease, stating that he faced the challenge with bravery and might until the end.
Expressing her heartbreak, King’s sister, Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center, conveyed that words cannot fully express the sorrow she feels at losing another sibling and requested strength to navigate this difficult time. Martin Luther King, III, his brother, added that the sudden shock is devastating, acknowledging the challenge of finding the right words and requesting prayers for the entire King family.
