Dexter Scott King, the esteemed son of iconic civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr., passed away on Monday at his home in Malibu, California.
His wife, Leah Weber King, stated that the 62-year-old passed away quietly in his sleep after a gallant battle with prostate cancer.
Dexter Scott King, a key figure in carrying on his father's legacy, chaired the King Center in Atlanta.
His life was dedicated to the ideas of justice and equality, and he served as an attorney, intellectual property protector, and president of the King Estate.
Leaders and citizens alike expressed their grief and sympathies following the King Center's announcement. Andre Dickens, Atlanta's mayor, expressed his condolences, saying, "His profound and unwavering love for his family positioned him as a guardian of his father and mother's legacies."
Dexter King, a Morehouse College alumnus, has worn many hats throughout his successful career, including humanitarian, civil rights activist, and even actor. Mayor Dickens stated, "Above all, he was a devoted family man."
Dexter Scott King's untimely passing comes after the deaths of his mother, Coretta Scott King, in 2006, and sister, Yolanda King, in 2007. Martin Luther King III, Dexter's older brother, echoed the family's grief, saying, "The unexpected shock is terrible. Please remember the entire King family in your prayers."
Dexter, who was just seven years old when his father was brutally assassinated in 1968, faced the hardships of carrying on his father's revolutionary name. In an interview with CNN, he described the tumultuous and horrific events preceding his father's assassination.
Despite the expectations and parallels, Dexter chose a career that was interwoven with his father's history, co-writing a biography, "Growing Up King: An Intimate Memoir," and even playing his father in the 2002 film, "The Rosa Parks Story."