"Yolanda was lovely. Former Mayor Andrew Young, a lieutenant of her father's who has remained close to the family, said Yolanda King had just spoken at an event for the American Heart Association. I was a high-school junior when Martin Luther King was assassinated. Martin Luther King Sr., refused to attend, but her mother supported her. On July 21, 1969, King's uncle and father's brother Alfred Daniel Williams King was found dead in the swimming pool of his home. And I was happy to see that they bore no resemblance to the sad-eyed youngsters I'd seen on television during their father's services. King also voiced her dislike of the assumption that she would behave just like her mother and father, and the difficulty of being perceived as not being someone others could talk to. The other indelible image is of Mrs. King and her children. Yolanda King was born November 17, 1955, shortly before the Montgomery Bus Boycott. display: none; [71] Below, she speaks at a 2000 Human Rights Campaign gala. She also appeared in Ghosts of Mississippi and founded a production company called Higher Ground Productions. hide caption, Yolanda King, shown here in a 2005 photograph, sought to encourage "personal growth and positive social change.". I don't have to try and prove anything to anyone anymore. FILE - In this Feb. 6, 2006, file photo, from left, the children of the Rev. [42] Of the King children, Yolanda was the only one to attend Grady High School, as her siblings would go to different high schools following her graduation. She has mostly been in the news. "[100] While in Dallas in March 2004, King related; "It's only in the past half-dozen years or so that I have felt comfortable in my own skin. Joseph Lowery, said Wednesday he was stunned and saddened by the news of King's death. Maybe when I'm older I won't be able to stand Yoki, but Yolanda sounds so formal!" "[24] King appeared in the film Selma, Lord, Selma, based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches as Miss Bright. [16] She predicted at that time that all of the "Negro leaders" would be killed and the non-leading African-Americans would agree to segregation. Her mother tried to debunk this, insisting that they would still get it. . Death 15 May 2007 (aged 51) Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California, USA. [106] She became a spokesperson for the American Heart Association after her mother's stroke, promoting a campaign to raise awareness about strokes. Lawmakers and activists including Andrea Waters King , Yolanda Renee King, the granddaughter of Rev. Staff writer Kevin Moran contributed to this report. [63] A few months after King and Shabazz met, the pair decided to collaborate on a theatrical work, resulting in Stepping into Tomorrow. Yolanda died due to a chronic heart condition in 2007. [35], In regards to the possibility that her father could have been saved, King said she doubted that her father could have lived much longer given all the stress he had during his tenure as a leader of the Civil Rights Movement. "[126] Like her parents and siblings, King did not publicly affiliate with a political party. Before her death, she led a production company called Higher Ground Productions an organization whose mission is to provide a "gateway for inner peace, unity, and global transformation," as per NPR. On her company's Web site, King described her mission as encouraging personal growth and positive social change. An alumna of Smith College after graduating in 1976, she was the subject of an essay among the "remarkable women" during a celebration during the college's one hundred and twenty-fifth year[56] and she was a member of the board of directors of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc. (the official national memorial to her father) and was founding Director of the King Center's Cultural Affairs Program. Joseph Lowery, one of her father's close aides in the civil rights movement. In a twenty-four-minute-long speech, she brought up the presidential election of that year, and also quoted the words of Bobby Kennedy by recalling his line which he took from George Bernard Shaw, that of "Some men see things as they are and say why? Yolanda Renee King declares a call to action to mark Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday: "Although you may not be old enough to vote, you are the future." Yolanda Renee King, granddaughter of civil . I remember thinking she was sparkly a good, throaty laugh, good sense of humor, the ability to dramatically capture the room's attention. Houston is in for dust and gray skies as Texas haboob arrives, Oops! Yolanda and Martin III sat nearby, numb with sadness. Her childhood experience was greatly influenced by her father's highly public activism. Her deepest memories were the love of her father, who taught her to swim and playfully pummeled her but never spanked her. Photos honoring the life of Yolanda King from Santa Monica, California - ADVERTISEMENT - Play Music Pause Music Tweet; Help | Login | Sign Up; . Yolanda Denise King, daughter and eldest child of the Rev. As she said during an interview, "I prefer Yoki. Dexter King said of his sister, "She gave me permission. [52] With her death, the only remaining members of King's father's immediate family were her grandfather Martin Luther King, Sr. and aunt Christine King Ferris. Martin Luther King Jr.'s eldest child who pursued her father's dream of racial harmony through drama and motivational speaking, collapsed and died after making a speech . The movement was in her DNA. Positive reception came to this interview, and Yolanda was even called the "leader of the 16-year-olds" for her "calmness, her concern," and "her vision". [3] Yolanda and her mother were not harmed. . Martin Luther King Jr., has died, said Steve Klein, a spokesman for the King Center. "Thanks for having us.". She stated, "It is entirely appropriate that you would choose to focus on multiculturalism as the opening activity of Black History Month. She was also on the student council. Not long after, she collapsed in the Santa Monica . A flag at The King Center, which King's mother founded in 1968 and where she was a board member, was lowered to half-staff on Wednesday. She held membership at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which her father helped found in 1957, and she was a notable advocate for non-violence. She was also subject to some harassment by her classmates, describing it as the "era when students were making demands and many black students were closer to the teachings of Malcolm X, or what they thought were his teachings." Image Credit Birthday: November 17, 1955 ( Scorpio) Born In: Montgomery, Alabama, United States 26 15 Civil Rights Activists #23 Human Rights Activists #11 Voice Actresses #17 Quick Facts Also Known As: Yolanda Denise King Died At Age: 51 Family: father: Martin Luther King Jr. His youngest two children, Esther and Vernon, were vacationing with King and her family in Jamaica when they heard of his death. He may be dead physically, and one day I am going to see him again".[43]. [28] Her family has speculated that her death was caused by a heart condition. [44] The practice of going to her father's grave on the anniversary of either his birth or assassination became an annual ritual for the King family to mourn his death. We compared notes about having gone to women's colleges and teased each other about the perceived weaknesses of our respective alma maters. I have chosen to continue to promote 'we're one, the oneness of us, and shine the spotlight,' as my father did. At her father's Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, she performed a series of solo skits that told stories including a girl's first ride on a desegregated bus and a college student's recollection of the 1963 campaign to desegregate Birmingham, Ala. She also urged the audience to be a force for peace and love, and to use the King holiday each year to ask tough questions about their own beliefs about prejudice. It began on Jan. 30, 1956, when Yolanda, nicknamed Yoki, was 2 months old and the familys house was bombed in the Montgomery bus boycott. The flag at The King Center, where she was a board member, flew at half-staff on today. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. But after finishing her sophomore year and returning home so she could work over the summer, her grandmother Alberta Williams King was killed on June 30, 1974. "[91] In an interview with People magazine in 1999, she recalled when she first learned of her father's death and stated in her words that "to this day, my heart skips a beat every time I hear one of those special bulletins. Her childhood experience was greatly influenced by her father's highly public activism. When her father was assassinated on April 4, 1968, the 12-year-old King showed her composure during the public funeral and mourning events. King was the first national ambassador to the anti-stroke campaign and she helped spread the word about risk factors and warning signs of stroke, Davis said. At her father's former Atlanta church, Ebenezer Baptist, she performed a series of one-actor skits on King Day this year that told stories including a girl's first ride on a desegregated bus and a college student's recollection of the 1963 desegregation of Birmingham, Ala. She also urged the audience at Ebenezer to be a force for peace and love, and to use the King holiday each year to ask tough questions about their own beliefs on prejudice. [25] Her memories of her father prompted her to state that he "believed we were all divine. The actual cause of her death was not determined. She was one of the first black children at a previously segregated elementary school in Atlanta, where she endured racial epithets. King died late Tuesday in Santa Monica,. ATLANTA Yolanda Denise King, the Rev. But acting, I could be zany, silly, sometimes the foolish person that I am. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. May 24, 2007 #1 A friend of mines sent me these photos, so I cannot verify the authenticity.I think she looks beautiful. In 1960, they moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she was immersed in social upheaval. Martin Luther King Jr., has died, said Steve Klein, a spokesman for the King Center. The Associated Press contributed to this report. [24] On January 7, 1986, Yolanda, her brother Martin Luther King III and her sister Bernice were arrested for "disorderly conduct" by officers responding to a call from a Winn Dixie market, of which had an ongoing protest against it since September of the previous year. Her paternal grandfather, the Rev. Born in 1955 in Montgomery, Ala., King was just an infant when her home was bombed during the turbulent civil rights era. [18] In 1964, upon learning her father would receive the Nobel Peace Prize, she asked her mother what her father was going to do with the money he was receiving in addition to the award. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Garland to face Congress amid ongoing special counsel investigations, FBI chief says agency feels pandemic likely started with Chinese lab leak. Her teenage years were filled with more tragedies, specifically the sudden death of her uncle Alfred Daniel Williams King and the murder of her grandmother, Alberta Williams King. Yolanda Denise King, daughter and eldest child of the Rev. Many former classmates of both Grady High School and Smith College attended to remember her. Still Far From Living King's Dream, His Daughter Says", "LOVE WILL LIGHT WAY, KING'S DAUGHTER SAYS", "25th anniversary of death of Martin Luther King, Jr. is observed across USA", "KING'S DAUGHTER TO INTERPRET DREAM FOR DENVER", "WATTS: Show Stirs Memories for King's Daughter", "Daughter Yolanda King And Sinfonietta Honor Her Dad", "King Family Makes Appeal For Trial for James Earl Ray", "More Need To Hear Yolanda King's 'Music', "King's daughter recalls father's message", "King's 'Dream' Endures in Mix of Music, Drama", "Yolanda King, 51; actress, child of civil rights leader", "Coretta Scott King to Remain Hospitalized at Least a Week", "Relative Says Mrs. King Had Minor Stroke", "Yolanda King, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., dies", "Eldest daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. dies", "Yolanda King's body brought back to Atlanta", "King's Dream Of Unity Reflected In Celebrations", "King's dream still worth pursuing, daughter says", "Civil-rights leader's daughter to speak", "King's Daughter Urges Students To Get Involved", "Task Force mourns death of Yolanda King 'An unwavering voice for equality and justice', "Out & Equal Mourns the Passing of Civil Rights Leader", "Yolanda King's sudden death shocks family, friends", "After 'March', feeling hopeful about the 'Dream', In Black America; Yolanda King: Understanding The Black Struggle,, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yolanda_King&oldid=1136984705, Felecia Hunter, in the 1978 television miniseries, Melina Nzeza as a child and Ronda Louis-Jeune as an adult, in the 2013 television movie, This page was last edited on 2 February 2023, at 04:20. Four days later, she and her brothers accompanied their mother to appear at Memphis City Hall. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Yolanda King, the eldest daughter of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, has died in California, family friends said on Wednesday. The two were the same age. "Volunteers and staff of the American Heart Association will hold the Power of Legacy dinner on Saturday evening, which will pay special tribute to King and her legacy.''. [110], She preached in January 2007 to an audience in Ebenezer Baptist Church urging them to be an oasis for peace and love, as well as to use her father's holiday as starting ground for their own interpretations of prejudice. The statement was made while she was in the presence of 800 people who gathered to honor her father at the Everett Theatre. Martin Luther King Jr. , Rev. King joined her mother and siblings in marches and was lauded by such figures as Harry Belafonte, who established a trust fund for her and her siblings. He had come up for the festivities, and he had two friends with him. Legal Statement. I am in direct contact with her spirit, and that has given me so much peace and so much strength.". During the family's interview with Mike Wallace in December 1968, Yolanda was introduced by her mother and revealed her role in keeping the family together. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. [29] King complimented her mother as a "brave and strong lady," leading to a hug between them. In high school, she was president of her sophomore and junior classes and vice president of her senior class. King; two brothers, Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King; and an extended family. King and Dexter were in favor of sale, but their other siblings were not. [89], In the fall of 1995, at age 39, she joined Ilyasah Shabazz and Reena Evers in saluting their mothers as they chaired an attempt at registering one million African-American women to vote in the presidential election of 1996. In January 2004, King referred to her father as a king, but not as one who "sat on a throne, but one who sat in a dark Birmingham jail. [86], On February 1, 1994, King attempted to speak before a diverse class of students at North Central College. She played Rosa Parks in the 1978 miniseries "King" and appeared in "Ghosts of Mississippi" a drama based on the true story of a white supremacist accused of the assassination of civil rights activist Medgar Evers (via NPR). Though her mother kept her nave to the controversies so she could "fulfill [her] objective, which was to do the play", that did not stop her from learning of the negativity implemented from her role years later. [130] During a 2009 reunion at her alma mater Smith College, a walk was done in her memory by fellow alumnae.[131]. Market data provided by Factset. "[117], To the time of her death, King continued to deny that her father's dreams and ideals would be fulfilled during her lifetime. I got my answer less than a decade later when, one ridiculously snowy evening in Washington, D.C., my doorbell rang. [119] She made it clear that month that she was not trying to fill her father's footsteps, noting jokingly that "They're too big" and that she would "fall and break [her] neck". [19], King, and her brother "Marty", were enrolled in the fall semester of 1965 at Spring Street Elementary School, in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia. Bernice King, Yolanda King and Martin Luther King III. [15], On November 22, 1963, when U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, she learned of his death at school. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who melded her fathers message of racial equality and nonviolence with her own calling as an actor and a motivational speaker, died on Tuesday in Santa Monica, Calif. She was 51. [22] She ranked in the top 10 percent of her class. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Her career in acting kept her in the realm of civil rights. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The four King children gathered at the February 2006 funeral of their mother, Coretta Scott King. Ms. King was 12 on April 4, 1968, when she heard a news bulletin on television saying her father had been assassinated in Memphis. He told her that there were many whites who were not racist and wanted her to go but there were many who were and did not want her to go. In a statement, Representative John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia and a veteran of the civil rights movement, said that being Dr. Kings daughter was to carry an extra burden. I am in direct contact with her spirit, and that has given me so much peace and so much strength." [36] She did admit that, had he lived or he been listened to more, "we would be in a far better place. Despite this, Shabazz still appeared in the state and performed in the play. The next-youngest, Dexter, leaned silently against his mother's side. Her father also addressed the issue himself. That decade saw King's acting career take off as she appeared in ten separate projects, including Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Our Friend, Martin (1999) and Selma, Lord, Selma (1999). Early on, she was aware of racism in her surroundings, especially when her father had to explain to her why she wasn't allowed to go to the amusement park known as "Funtown." Martin Luther King Jr., has died, said Steve Klein, a spokesman for the King Center. ", The Rev. Father's death: 1968 Teenage years and high school: 1968-1972 Early adulthood College: 1972-1976 . "[87] In July 1994, after seeing some photographs of her father prior to his death, Yolanda lamented that "this [had] brought back a lot of memories. Yolanda Denise King (November 17, 1955 - May 15, 2007) was an African-American activist, actress and first-born child of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King who pursued artistic and entertainment endeavors and public speaking. King's mother, Coretta Scott King, suffered a stroke before her death from cancer in 2006. (After all, she was a theater major.) Coretta King had established her own career as a civil rights activist, and after her husband's assassination in 1968, she founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (via Biography). Young said she was going to her brother Dexter's home when she collapsed in the doorway and "they were not able to revive her.". Yolanda King learned about racial discrimination at 3 or 4 when she was barred from an amusement park. In 1993, she debunked the thought that her father's "dream" had been anything but a dream, and was quoted as saying "It's easier to build monuments than to make a better world. Around an hour later,[113] King collapsed in the Santa Monica, California home of Philip Madison Jones, her brother Dexter King's best friend, and could not be revived. Yolanda Denise King, who was born on Nov. 17, 1955, in Montgomery, Ala., lived virtually her entire life in the maelstrom of the civil rights revolution that her father and mother, Coretta Scott King, helped lead. Despite this, King managed to keep up her grades and became involved in high school politics, serving as class president for two years. [21] At the age of eight after writing her first play,[22][23] she also enrolled in the only integrated drama school of that time. Leading up to her death, she was still active in the public eye. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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