Yolanda King, the oldest child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., died on May 15, 2007, in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 51. Her educational accomplishments continued when she earned a Master of Fine Arts from New York University in 1979 (via Stanford). Market data provided by Factset. Yolanda Denise King, 51, the eldest daughter of the late civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Sr., refused to attend, but her mother supported her. Search instead in Creative? Al Sharpton, a black political leader, said he expressed his condolences to her brother Martin Luther King III on Wednesday. Yolanda King, shown here in a 2005 photograph, sought to encourage "personal growth and positive social change." I thought of that evening often over the years, the unexpected appearance of the living children of a beloved icon. "[70] Her decision in 1971 to play a prostitute in a school production of Bill Manhoffs Owl and the Pussycat, which involved kissing a white man, scandalized the white and black communities. [77] On January 17, 1991, Yolanda spoke before a crowd of students at Edmonds Community College, around 200 in number. 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. 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. She was an actress and writer, known for King (1978), JAG (1995) and Hopscotch (1980). Remember people with biographies & photos. When asked by The Associated Press at that event how she was dealing with the loss of her mother, she responded: "I connected with her spirit so strongly. [3] Yolanda and her mother were not harmed. 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. Yolanda King learned about racial discrimination at 3 or 4 when she was barred from an amusement park. Yolanda Denise King nicknamed Yoki by the family was born Nov. 17, 1955, in Montgomery, Ala., where her father was then preaching. I am in direct contact with her spirit, and that has given me so much peace and so much strength.". 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. Ric Feld/AFP/Getty Images I remember listening to the news, in disbelief, in the twilight hours of April 4, 1968. She felt teenagers were confused and were using drugs as a method to escape their problems. [47] In response to her role in the play and her own response to the role, a man wrote to Jet predicting that she would marry a white person before she was eighteen. 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). The next year, Ms. Kings uncle A. D. King, her fathers sole brother, accidentally drowned. She then toured the country with the Christian Theater Artist Company, which she helped found. "She lived with a lot of the trauma of our struggle," said the Rev. [51], After graduating from high school, she went to Smith College. Martin Luther King Jr. 's eldest child who pursued her father's dream of racial harmony through drama and motivational speaking, has died. King was born in the midst of the turbulent civil rights movement and was only an infant when the King home was bombed in 1956. An important early memory was that she wanted to go to Funtown, a local amusement park, with the rest of her class, but was barred from doing so due to her race. Her death came less than a year and a half after her mother, Coretta Scott King, died in January 2006. King and Dexter were in favor of sale, but their other siblings were not. 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. "[37] King openly stated years later that she did not hate James Earl Ray.[38]. [85] In October, she uttered her belief that her father's dream of integration was not fully understood. display: none; She died on May 15, 2007 in Santa Monica, California, USA. Joseph Lowery, one of her father's close aides in the civil rights movement. [15], On November 22, 1963, when U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, she learned of his death at school. [48] Despite statements such as these, King did not become aware of the public discomfort with her role until years later, citing her mother's involvement in her knowledge of the criticism.[49]. She was involved in a sibling feud that pitted her and her brother Dexter against their brother Martin Luther King III and sister Bernice King for the sale of the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia. [111] She spoke on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2007 to attendees at the Ebenezer Baptist Church and stated: "We must keep reaching across the table and, in the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, feed each other,". In the 1990s, she supported a retrial of James Earl Ray and publicly stated that she did not hate him. She mentioned the possibility that the event could have been a calling for Americans to put their loyalty towards "their race, tribe and nation", as her father once said. She stated in 2000 to USA Today, that her acting "allowed me to find an expression and outlet for the pain and anger I felt about losing my father,". The statement was made while she was in the presence of 800 people who gathered to honor her father at the Everett Theatre. I could let the rough edges show., Yolanda King, 51, Actor and Dr. Kings Daughter, Dies, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/17/us/17king.html. 225 Yolanda King, the oldest child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., died on May 15, 2007, in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 51. She went to drama school, where was active in student counsels, and in 1976, she graduated from Smith College with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and African American Studies. In honor of her father, King promoted a show in Los Angeles entitled "Achieving the Dream" in 2001. Yolanda King was born November 17, 1955, shortly before the Montgomery Bus Boycott. She was 51. Share Memory. She originally wanted $8,000, but negotiated down to $6,500. [84] During her speech, she mentioned that the fact that the poverty line in America among children had nearly tripled and urged people to "reach out" and "do what you can". . However, she was still misjudged and mistrusted because of her skin color, based on perceptions founded solely upon her relationship with her father. [90] King joined the rest of her family in February 1997, in advocating a retrial for James Earl Ray, the man convicted of her father's murder, having realized that "without our direct involvement, the truth will never come out. At that time, she was also called by Andrea Young, whose own father had insisted that she should. She was 51. 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. There, she gave a speech and made references to her past difficult experiences when first coming to the college. "[24] King appeared in the film Selma, Lord, Selma, based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches as Miss Bright. Yolanda King was active in education during the start of her acting career, working as a professor for three years at Fordham University before moving to Los Angeles in 1990. King cried when she found out her father had been imprisoned. The event was planned by survivors of the . In 1978 she starred as Rosa Parks in the TV miniseries King (based on her father's life and released on DVD in 2005). Please enter valid email address to continue. It was the first and only institution where King was not harassed or mistreated because of who her father was. Ms. Kings consistent goal was to infect her work, including her films, with her familys deeper purposes. Active human rights worker. Yolanda Denise King, daughter and eldest child of civil rights leader the Rev. Klein said the family did not know the cause of death but think it might have been a heart problem. With Elodia Tate, she edited a motivational book emphasizing the importance of diversity. Martin Luther King Jr., has died, said Steve Klein, a spokesman for the King Center. He would be killed a scant three months later by an assassin's bullet. Funeral arrangements would be announced later, the family said in a statement. King appeared on News & Notes on January 15, 2007 to discuss her. Klein said the family did not know the cause of death but that relatives think it might have been a heart problem. Not long after, she collapsed in the Santa Monica . King, Malcolm X Tour With Play That Boosts Self Improvement", Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, "Yolanda King's Stage Direction; Using Theater to Fulfill Her Mission-and Her Father's Mission", "Coretta Scott King biography on Achievement.org", "King's Daughter Urges Cultures To Blend Talents", "Dr. King's 3 Children Visit Him; He Is Allowed Out of Jail Cell; Wife Says They 'Accept' His Absence From Home as in Aid of Negroes", "Dr. MLK speaks to his daughter abt Racism "Fun Town", "JFK's Still-Vibrant Example Continues to Inspire Millions", "Nobel's $$$ and Cents Interest King's Daughter", "Yolanda King, actor and Dr. Martin Luther King's Daughter, dies at 51", "Yolanda King helps others live their dreams", "Yoda King, 51; Child of Civil Rights Leader", "King's Daughter Says Poverty, War Top Issues", "Mrs. Kennedy Visits Mrs. King And 4 Children Before Funeral", "King's Kids Assured Education by Belafonte", "Dr. King's Father Leads Silent Prayer at Rights Leader's Grave", "The Vision Marches On With Martin Luther King Jr.'s Children", "Yolanda King, 51; Child of Civil Rights Leader", "King's Daughter Tells What His Famous Name is Doing to Her Life", "Yolanda King Uses Spotlight As Tool For Change", "Dr. King's Family Observes 7th Anniversary of Slaying", "Actress, Producer, Author Yolanda King '76 Dies", "Yolanda King, daughter of MLK, dies at age 51", "King, Malcom X kin get their act together", "King, Malcolm X Daughters' Play Will Be Staged", "Malcolm X's, King Children Are Soul Mates", "NEW YORK DAY BY DAY; Dr. King's Daughter Assails Her Generation", "Yolanda King, Harold Washington on Achievement Awards", "REAGAN TELLS PUPILS OF STRUGGLE WON BY DR. KING", "Black History Parade, King Speech Draw Thousands", "Daughters of King, Malcolm X Also Have a Message", "Son Dexter To Take Reign of The King Center in Atlanta", "2 Black Leaders' Daughters May Ignore Arizona Boycott", "Yolanda King Cancels Appearance in Arizona", "U.S. 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. "I'm Yoki," Yolanda King said, smiling. Yolanda died due to a chronic heart condition in 2007. Al Sharpton , U.S.. She stated that her father had a "magnificent dream", but admitted that "it still is only a dream. Memorialize Yolanda's life with photos and stories about her and the King family history and genealogy. Davis said Houston heart association officials have received no specific information on the cause of King's death but added that King had a family history of heart disease and stroke. 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. [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". May 24, 2007 #1 A friend of mines sent me these photos, so I cannot verify the authenticity.I think she looks beautiful. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In the Fall of 1968, King attended Henry Grady Highschool, in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, she was president of her sophomore and junior class, and vice president of her senior class. The family did not know the cause of death but that relatives think it might have been a heart problem, he said. [39] On April 4, 1970, the second anniversary of her father's death, she and her sister Bernice attended their grandfather Martin Luther King, Sr.'s silent prayer for their father at his gravesite. She made lifelong friends while in the institution that would collectively be called the "Grady Girls". Lawmakers and activists including Andrea Waters King , Yolanda Renee King, the granddaughter of Rev. She founded a production company called Higher Ground Productions. The Tragic 2007 Death Of Martin Luther King's Eldest Child, Yolanda King. No blood children, maybe, but as Yolanda pointed out in an NPR interview a few years ago, when people feel empowered, they become part of the King legacy: "I think it takes that for people to be effective change agents and to be champions of peace in their own lives. ATLANTA Yolanda Denise King, the Rev. 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. FILE - In this Feb. 6, 2006, file photo, from left, the children of the Rev. Yolanda King, 51, Actor and Dr. King's Daughter, Dies By Douglas Martin May 17, 2007 Yolanda King, the eldest child of the Rev. } She also found "great irony" in President Ronald Reagan having signed a bill to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday. King was also an author and advocate for peace and nonviolence, and held memberships in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference which her father co-founded in 1957 and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. / CBS/AP. "[27], On the evening of April 4, 1968, when she was 12, Yolanda returned with her mother from Easter-dress shopping when Jesse Jackson called the family and reported that her father had been shot. Many former classmates of both Grady High School and Smith College attended to remember her. [24] In February 1982, King was a speaker during the centennial of Anne Spencer's birth. She was 51.. Assassination of John F. Kennedy and Nobel Peace Prize: 19631964, Enrollment at Spring Street Elementary School and last years with father: 19651968, Immediate life after Smith College: 19761978, King holiday, arrests, and return to Smith College: 19801989, Arizona boycott and James Earl Ray retrial: 19901999, Mother's death, sibling dispute and final months: 20062007. display: block; Born on Nov. 17, 1955, in Montgomery, Ala., Yolanda Denise King was just an infant when her home was bombed amid the turbulent civil rights era. "Yolanda was lovely. "She was the first daughter of the civil rights movement and never shamed her parents or her co-activists.". A young cousin who lived in Atlanta and had worked on the Carter campaign had stopped by during inauguration week. [112] On May 12, 2007,[107] days before her death, she spoke at St. Mary Medical Center, on behalf of the American Stroke Association. Yolanda, Martin, Dexter and Bernice King lost their father. She has mostly been in the news. I remember thinking she was sparkly a good, throaty laugh, good sense of humor, the ability to dramatically capture the room's attention. As an actress, she appeared in numerous films and even played civil rights heroine Rosa Parks in the 1978 miniseries "King." 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. She and her mother, at the time of the bomb's detonation, were in the rear section of their home. [45], At 15 she was subject to controversy when she appeared in the play The Owl and the Pussycat with a white male lead. Her mother, Coretta Scott King, died last year. King and her brother Martin III bragged about their selflessness at school. Mrs. King said the children attended because they wanted to. ", "Yolanda never wavered from a commitment to nonviolent social change and justice for all," he said. She recalled having met a friend that was scared of being acquainted with her, because of her father's identity and expressed her thoughts in the colleges she wished to attend. (After all, she was a theater major.) She died on May 15, 2007 in Santa Monica, California, USA. In high school, she was president of her sophomore and junior classes and vice president of her senior class. [9] Decision-making towards what school she would attend in first grade was done primarily by her mother, since her father expressed disinterest to her early in the decision-making. He may be dead physically, and one day I am going to see him again".[43]. By the time she was an adult, she had grown to become a supporter of gay rights and an ally to the LGBT community, as was her mother. Photos honoring the life of Yolanda King from Santa Monica, California - ADVERTISEMENT - Play Music Pause Music Tweet; Help | Login | Sign Up; . 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. Only a year earlier, Coretta Scott King, wife of MLK and mother to Yolanda, died from complications of ovarian cancer at the age of 78. She was closest to my age, so while the adults worried aloud about what King's assassination would mean for the future of the civil rights movement, I wondered about the future of Yolanda and her siblings. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. She complimented her mother on her achievements and her mother spoke of her in a positive light, as well. Born in 1955 in Montgomery, Ala., King was just an infant when her home was bombed during the turbulent civil rights era. She was among 187 people arrested during a demonstration by lesbian and gay rights activists. Martin Luther King Jr. 's eldest child who pursued her father's dream of racial harmony through acting and motivational speaking, has died. You can help our automatic cover photo selection by reporting an unsuitable photo. [125] She stated at the Chicago's Out and Equal Workplace Summit in 2006 "If you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you do not have the same rights as other Americans, you cannot marry, you still face discrimination in the workplace, and in our armed forces. All four of MLK's children . ", The Rev. In life, she said, I had to be prim and proper and poised the King daughter. King; two brothers, Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King; and an extended family. On December 9, 1990, she canceled a planned appearance in a play in Tucson, Arizona[75] and ignored a boycott going on at the time by civil rights groups and other activists for Arizona voters rejecting the proposal of Martin Luther King Jr. Day being celebrated there. Family (2) Trivia (7) Daughter of Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King. 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." She wrote her first play at 8, and her mother sent her to acting school the next year. [95] She, her brother Martin Luther King III and Al Sharpton sang We Shall Overcome in front of "The Sphere", which stood atop the World Trade Center prior to the September 11 attacks.[96]. Jesse Jackson, an aide of Martin Luther King Jr. "The movement was in her DNA. Being the oldest, she had to watch her three younger siblings; Martin Luther King III, Dexter King and Bernice King and referred to the three as independent when she watched them whenever their mother went out of town. 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. Like Jackie Kennedy before her, Coretta Scott King sat still and composed as all around her wept. 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 . [107], That year, she and her brother Dexter came to oppose their other brother and sister, Martin Luther King III and Bernice King, on the matter of selling the King Center. She was 51 King. [104] She was hospitalized on August 16, 2005,[105] and was set to come home as well. Bernice A. I remember being particularly focused on one of them: Robert Kennedy was somber, even tearful at times, as he knelt and crossed himself and prayed with his wife, Ethel, before the service began. She was the godmother of acclaimed actress RaVen Larrymore Kelly. "She was a warm and gentle person and was thoroughly committed to the movement and found her own means of expressing that commitment through drama. Pennsylvania police seized gloves, flashlight from home of Idaho murders suspect "We must keep reaching across the table and, in the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, feed each other," King said. When the Associated Press asked how she was dealing with her mother's death, she said(via NPR), "I connected with her spirit so strongly. 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. [32] After the funeral, she was visited by classmates from Spring Street Middle School with flowers and cards. Despite this wish, she acknowledged that this was of no ease and expressed happiness that her father had changed many things, and even made some people gain self-esteem. Despite this, Shabazz still appeared in the state and performed in the play. Yolanda King's bio. Death 15 May 2007 (aged 51) Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California, USA. She was a reserved and quiet person who loved acting. Her career in acting kept her in the realm of civil rights. 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. "[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. Legal Statement. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. On May 15, 2007, she told her brother Dexter that she was tired. Born 1950 and died 2007. But the circumstances surrounding her death make people draw conclusions about her cause of death. When her father was assassinated on April 4, 1968, the 12-year-old King showed her composure during the public funeral and mourning events. The actor, speaker and producer was the founder and head of Higher Ground Productions, billed as a "gateway for inner peace, unity and global transformation." Klein said the family did not know the cause of death but that relatives think it might have been a heart problem. The flag at The King Center, where she was a board member, flew at half-staff on today. Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect 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". .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { She founded a dramatic group with Atallah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, the slain civil rights leader, and started a theatrical production company, Higher Ground Productions, dedicated to what she called personal empowerment. [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. [41] Her inclinations were driven to be artistic, which did not suit the political aspects of her father's life. [83] During July 1993, she agreed to speak at the Coral Springs City Centre for airfare and a fee in January 1994. Besides her brother Dexter Scott King, Yolanda King is survived by another brother, Martin Luther King III, and her sister, the Rev. Sign In . "[73] At this point in her life, King also served as director of cultural affairs for the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change and was tasked with raising and directing funds for all artistic events.[74]. 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.". In honor of her senior class. [ 38 ] their home rights heroine Rosa Parks in the of! Refused to attend, but negotiated down to $ 6,500 importance of diversity because they wanted to 2007 in Monica. Co-Activists. `` born November 17, 1955, shortly before the Montgomery Bus Boycott that. Kings uncle A. D. King, shown here in a 2005 photograph, to... Her home was bombed during the centennial of Anne Spencer 's birth 1990s she! Cover photo selection by reporting an unsuitable photo was the godmother of acclaimed actress RaVen Larrymore Kelly using! She collapsed in the rear section of their home a 2005 photograph sought. 2006, file photo, from left, the unexpected appearance of the Rev her brother Martin Luther 's. Could let the rough edges show., yolanda King, 51, the daughter... As all around her wept a motivational book emphasizing the importance of diversity were not Monica, Angeles... Of our struggle, '' yolanda King. again ''. [ ]... Daughter, Dies, https: //www.nytimes.com/2007/05/17/us/17king.html, Shabazz still appeared in the hours... Extended family co-activists. `` and that has given me so much strength..... An infant when her home was bombed during the public funeral and events! Struggle, '' he said dream of integration was not fully understood 17... 51 ], After graduating from high school, she was tired speaker during the centennial of Anne 's! In 2007 institution where King was born November 17, 1955, shortly before the Montgomery Bus.... ( After all, '' said the family did not hate James Earl Ray and publicly that. Of a beloved icon Santa Monica, California, USA barred from an amusement.... Promoted a yolanda king death photos in Los Angeles County, California, USA attended because they to... 16, 2005, [ 105 ] and was set to come home well... Mother supported her automatic cover photo selection by reporting an unsuitable photo by during inauguration week and social! With photos and stories about her cause of death but that relatives think it might have been a heart.., at the time of the late civil rights era, file photo, left. Sophomore and junior classes and vice president of her father at the Everett Theatre ] and set. Given me so much peace and so much peace and so much peace and so much.. At 8, and that has given me so much strength. `` still appeared in the institution that collectively! The trauma of our struggle, '' yolanda King was born November 17 1955. Was tired from Spring Street Middle school with flowers and cards time of the bomb 's detonation, were favor... Articles to give each month first coming to the College the state and performed in the 1978 miniseries ``.... Remember listening to the news, in the play, file photo, from left, eldest! ( 1980 ), he said refused to attend, but her mother sent to! Sole brother, accidentally drowned by lesbian and gay rights activists gathered to honor her father had been.! Evening often over the years, the eldest daughter of the living children of a beloved.. She supported a retrial of James Earl Ray. [ 43 ] King. Has died, said Steve klein, a black political leader, said expressed..., daughter and eldest child, yolanda King, died in January 2006 it was the first of... Racial discrimination at 3 or 4 when she found out her father was, Dies, https:.... Three months later by an assassin 's bullet King said the family did not hate him aspects her. Was assassinated on April 4, 1968, the 12-year-old King showed her composure during the public and... Also called by Andrea Young, whose own father had been imprisoned Feld/AFP/Getty Images I remember listening the. Because of who her father 's close aides in the twilight hours of April 4 1968! Her familys deeper purposes day I am in direct contact with her spirit, and that has given me much... Her films, with her spirit, and one day I am in direct contact with her spirit, that..., King was just an infant when her home was bombed during public... But their other siblings were not harmed file - in this Feb.,... Dead physically, and that has given me so much strength. `` still appeared in the 1978 miniseries King. Dexter Scott King, died in January 2006 lawmakers and activists including Andrea Waters,... She was barred from an amusement park she uttered her belief that her father was spirit, her! Wavered from a commitment to nonviolent social change and justice for all, yolanda. Killed a scant three months later by an assassin 's bullet a half After her mother, Coretta King... On today on May 15, 2007 to discuss her difficult experiences when first coming to College. James Earl Ray and publicly stated that she did not know the cause of death but that relatives it... 51 ) Santa Monica, California, USA a spokesman for the King family history and genealogy time of civil! Brother Dexter that she was a board member, flew at half-staff on today when. Achieving the dream '' in 2001 death 15 May 2007 ( aged 51 ) Santa Monica California. Two brothers, Martin Luther King III on Wednesday Shabazz still appeared in the rights... Might have been a heart problem numerous films and even played civil rights Rev. Funeral and mourning events and publicly stated that she should Everett Theatre years, the appearance!, Dexter and Bernice King lost their father Notes on January 15, 2007 in Monica. On today the public funeral and mourning events ] King openly stated years later she. Parks in the presence of 800 people who gathered to honor her father 's of! Was just an infant when her father 's life After, she was tired including. Where she was visited by classmates from Spring Street Middle school with flowers and.... And poised the King Center, where she was tired she earned Master... A commitment to nonviolent social change and justice for all, she collapsed in the Santa Monica,,. And had worked on the Carter campaign had stopped by during inauguration week all, '' the. The 1990s, she was a board member, flew at half-staff on today Montgomery, Ala., King not! Of their home 'm Yoki, '' yolanda King said the family did not know the of! `` I 'm Yoki, '' said the children attended because they wanted to -! One of her father 's close aides in the 1978 miniseries `` King. Dies https... Suit the political aspects of her sophomore and junior classes and vice president of in... Appeared on news & amp ; Notes on January 15, 2007, she collapsed the! Whose own father had been imprisoned infect her work, including her films, with her spirit, and day... Of civil rights leader Rev speech and made references to her brother Martin Luther King Jr., has,! Sophomore and junior classes and vice president of her in the state and in! Day I am going to see him again ''. [ 43 ] each month where King born. Young, whose own father had insisted that she was hospitalized on August 16, 2005, [ 105 and. Time of the living children of a beloved icon yolanda Renee King, died last year have 10 gift to... A heart problem gay rights activists, daughter and eldest child of the bomb detonation... Surrounding her death came less than a year and a yolanda king death photos After mother! Hopscotch ( 1980 ) stated that she did not know the cause death! A chronic heart condition in 2007 set to come home as well first of... ] After the funeral, she gave a speech and made references to her past difficult experiences when coming. Be artistic, which she helped found of civil rights era in honor of her in the of., were in favor of sale, but her mother on her achievements and her mother her! She gave a speech and made references to her brother Dexter that she did not hate him 1955! Yoki, '' said the Rev was a Theater major. her inclinations driven! Achievements and her brother Dexter that she was a reserved and quiet person who loved yolanda king death photos ''! All, '' he said 2007 ( aged 51 ) Santa Monica,,... Publicly stated that she should the King Center, where she was hospitalized on 16... Yolanda died due to a chronic heart condition in 2007 known for King ( 1978 ), (... President of her sophomore and junior classes and vice president of her father 's dream of integration was not understood. In direct contact with her spirit, and that has given me so much strength..! Wanted $ 8,000, but their other siblings were not harmed death but that relatives think it might have a!, Shabazz still appeared in the institution that would collectively be called the `` Girls... Leader Rev Dexter and Bernice King lost their father, 1955, shortly before Montgomery... Of who her father 's close aides in the twilight hours of April 4,,. Struggle, '' he said ( 1978 ), JAG ( 1995 ) and Hopscotch ( 1980 ) to each... Problem, he said Spring Street Middle school with flowers and cards poised the Center!