There was such a need, like they were looking for a miracle. Even in her infancy, Yolanda was faced with the threats her father was given when they extended to his family. She debunked complacency in having any role in progression of her father's dream. She proceeded to read his books, and started to believe that her father had been correct all along. She served on the Partnership Council of Habitat for Humanity, was the first national Ambassador for the American Stroke Association's "Power to End Stroke" Campaign, a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a sponsor of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Human Rights Campaign, and held a lifetime membership in the NAACP. Historian David Garrow, who won a Pulitzer for his biography of King and who remains friends with many King intimates, says it's not so surprising that none of the King children married. 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. We had cups of tea because it was so frigid that night, and then they were gone. Maya Angelou wrote a tribute to her, which was read during the memorial service. 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. 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. King died late Tuesday in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 51. [130] During a 2009 reunion at her alma mater Smith College, a walk was done in her memory by fellow alumnae.[131]. "We must keep reaching across the table and, in the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, feed each other," said Yolanda, urging those who honor the Kings' work to question their own beliefs on prejudice and be a personal force for peace and love. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid "I'm Yoki," Yolanda King said, smiling. CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat" However, her father reassured her as she began to cry that she was "just as good" as anyone who went to Funtown, and that, one day in the "not too distant future", she was going to be able to go to "any town" along with "all of God's children". All rights reserved. 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. 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. She occasionally experienced threats to her life, designed to intimidate her parents, and was bullied at school. Yolanda Denise King, daughter and eldest child of civil rights leader the Rev. Bernice A. 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. [121] She disliked cliches used to define her father and expressed this to Attallah Shabazz, and recalled having seen a play where her father was a "wimp" and carried The Bible with him everywhere.[122]. She called him my first buddy, saying, I was tremendously loved.. Information about the death of Yolanda King; Cause of death: Heart Attack: Age of death: 51 years: Profession: Civil Rights Leader: Birthday: November 17, 1955: Death date: March 15, 2007: Place of death: N/A: Place of burial: N/A: Quotes. [22] King flew to Memphis, Tennessee with her brothers and mother and participated in leading a march in Memphis with sanitation workers and civil rights leaders. [46] Her grandfather Martin Luther King Sr. initially was not going to go to her performance due to opposition by locals, but changed his mind afterward. Father's death: 1968 Teenage years and high school: 1968-1972 Early adulthood College: 1972-1976 . Jesse Jackson, an aide of Martin Luther King Jr. "The movement was in her DNA. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In fact, she proved that the smile was more powerful and sweeter because it had to press itself through mournfulness to be seen, force itself through cruelty to show that the light of survival shines for us all." Photos honoring the life of Yolanda King from Santa Monica, California - ADVERTISEMENT - Play Music Pause Music Tweet; Help | Login | Sign Up; . ATLANTA (AP) On April 4, 1968, a movement lost its patriarch when the Rev. Yolanda, from your one and only, I thank you for being a sister and for being a friend." 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. 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. [30] Four days later, she and her family accompanied their mother to Memphis City Hall on her own terms, as she and her brothers had wanted to come. Their play Stepping into Tomorrow was praised by supervisors as being "entertaining and enlightening." This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Below, she speaks at a 2000 Human Rights Campaign gala. She made lifelong friends while in the institution that would collectively be called the "Grady Girls". The pair performed in around 50 cities a year and did lectures together, typically in school settings. On her company's Web site, King described her mission as encouraging personal growth and positive social change. But the circumstances surrounding her death make people draw conclusions about her cause of death. Yolanda King's career proved equally successful as she used both entertainment and oratory to advance her family's message. She died on May 15, 2007 in Santa Monica, California, USA. 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. King served as a spokesperson for her mother during the illness that would eventually lead to her death. "[26] Coretta King wrote in her memoirs, My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr., that "Martin always said that Yoki came at a time in his life when he needed something to take his mind off the tremendous pressures that bore down upon him. She was helping the association raise awareness, especially among blacks, about stroke. King cried when she found out her father had been imprisoned. [20] Soon thereafter, they would be joined by their younger brother Dexter. Yolanda King is survived by her sister, the Rev. 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. She appeared in numerous films and played Rosa Parks in the 1978 miniseries King. To Yolanda, it seemed as if adults naturally went to jail occasionally, because all those she knew seemed to do that. [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. [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. [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. "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. Klein said the family did not know the cause of death but that relatives think it might have been a heart problem. King outlived her mother by only 16 months, succumbing to complications related to a chronic heart condition on May 15, 2007. [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. Many in attendance did not know her, but came out of respect for the King family's history of peace protests and social justice. [34] King and her siblings were assured an education thanks to the help of Harry Belafonte, who set up a trust fund for them years prior to their father's death. This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial. [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 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. 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. The head of the school was Walt Roberts, father of the actors Eric and Julia Roberts. Yolanda, King's nine-year-old granddaughter, made headlines just last month with her rousing speech at the March for Our Lives rally in Washington. Sharpton said Yolanda King was a "torch bearer for her parents and a committed activist in her own right. Yolanda, Martin, Dexter and Bernice King lost their father. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { Her mother, Coretta Scott King, died last year. [29] King complimented her mother as a "brave and strong lady," leading to a hug between them. Lawmakers and activists including Andrea Waters King , Yolanda Renee King, the granddaughter of Rev. In her teenage years, she became an effective leader of her high school class and was covered by the magazines Jet and Ebony. King; two brothers, Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King; and an extended family. On May 15, 2007, she told her brother Dexter that she was tired. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Anyone can read what you share. She returned to Smith College on January 26, 1989. Legal Statement. Neither she nor her mother was injured when the device exploded on the front porch. She was a reserved and quiet person who loved acting. All four of MLK's children . On January 15, 1997, she spoke at Florida Memorial College and expressed what she believed her father would feel if "he knew that people were taking a day off in his memory to do nothing". 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. Andrea Waters King, Yolanda Renee King, and Martin Luther King III, attend the "March On for Washington and Voting Rights" on August 28, 2021 in. 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. [78] She joined her mother in placing a wreath around her father's crypt. Martin Luther King Sr., refused to attend, but her mother supported her. 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. She was 51. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. Thank you for her voice. The next-youngest, Dexter, leaned silently against his mother's side. When asked about how she was faring following her mother's death, Yolanda responded: "I connected with her spirit so strongly. The event was planned by survivors of the . She asked her mother at this time, if she should hate the man who killed her father. King died late Tuesday in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 51, said Steve Klein, a spokesman for the King Center. What is the birth name of. They look at me when I'm talking as if this is science fiction. Her brother Martin III was born in 1957; brother Dexter in 1961; and sister Bernice in 1963. After her hour-long presentation, she joined her sister and her aunt, Christine King Farris, in signing books. At the time of the honor, King said that their production company had been approached by organizations seeking to arrange special staging of the play for gang members before May 1, when the show's run would end. 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. After the move, she founded Higher Ground Productions where she produced and starred in a myriad of films. "Thanks for having us.". [65] In 1984, she was arrested in the view of her mother for having protested in front of the South African Embassy, in support of anti-apartheid views. "[117], To the time of her death, King continued to deny that her father's dreams and ideals would be fulfilled during her lifetime. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. She was an actress and writer, known for King (1978), JAG (1995) and Death of a Prophet (1981). She also was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Yolanda King was born November 17, 1955, shortly before the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Yolanda has mostly been portrayed in films that revolve around her parents. [33] Bill Cosby flew to Atlanta after the funeral and entertained King and her siblings. display: none; Ms. King was meeting her brother Dexter King at a friends home when she collapsed and died. She was also on the student council. Not long after, she collapsed in the Santa Monica . ", As an actress, she appeared in numerous films, including "Ghosts of Mississippi," and even played civil rights heroine Rosa Parks in the 1978 miniseries "King.". [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". }, First published on May 16, 2007 / 5:32 AM. "[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. It was the first time she had ever been arrested. Yolanda at that same ceremony used her craft as an actress to deliver a tribute to her parents, performing a series of skits telling stories including a girl's first ride on a desegregated bus and a college student's recollection of the 1963 desegregation of Birmingham, Ala. A few days later, we were glued to the television as we watched his funeral. She was helping the association raise awareness, especially among blacks, about stroke. 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. [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. 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 other indelible image is of Mrs. King and her children. She felt teenagers were confused and were using drugs as a method to escape their problems. In life, she said, I had to be prim and proper and poised the King daughter. Market data provided by Factset. Mrs. King said the children attended because they wanted to. May 16, 2007 / 5:32 AM ATLANTA - Yolanda King, the Rev. 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. [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. 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. 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." She allowed me to give myself permission to be me." [32] After the funeral, she was visited by classmates from Spring Street Middle School with flowers and cards. I am in direct contact with her spirit, and that has given me so much peace and so much strength." / CBS/AP. Yolanda Denise King, daughter and eldest child of the Rev. During the play, she changed costume numerous times and adjusted her voice and body language when changing roles. She complimented her mother on her achievements and her mother spoke of her in a positive light, as well. Yolanda King was the founder and head of Higher Ground Productions, billed as a "gateway for inner peace, unity and global transformation." Ms. King graduated from Smith College and earned a master of fine arts degree from New York University. Supervisor Kenneth Hahn said to King that he "sensed I was in the presence of a great man when I met your father. King recalled that her mother had been the main parent and dominant figure in their home, while her father was often away. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. It seems we've stood still and in many ways gone backward since Martin Luther King Jr. was alive. May 24, 2007 #1 A friend of mines sent me these photos, so I cannot verify the authenticity.I think she looks beautiful. [6] While her mother liked her name, her father had reservations about naming her "Yolanda", due to the possibility that the name would be mispronounced. She was just 10 weeks old when the King family home was bombed in Jan. 30, 1956, as her father attended a boycott rally. While in high school, she gained lifelong friends. Al Sharpton called Yolanda King was a "torch bearer for her parents and a committed activist in her own right.". She was among 187 people arrested during a demonstration by lesbian and gay rights activists. When King was 16, she received attention in Jet in 1972, where she talked about what her father's famous name was doing for her life. [63][64] The theater company was based in New York City and Los Angeles and focused on addressing the issues that their fathers, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, spoke of in their lifetimes. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. 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. News & Notes remembers Yolanda King, eldest daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She passed away Tuesday at the age of 51. Her career in acting kept her in the realm of civil rights. 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). Martin Luther King Jr., has died, said Steve Klein, a spokesman for the King Center. In 1958, Dr. King narrowly escaped death when he was stabbed in a bookstore in Harlem. King was scheduled to visit Houston this weekend to attend numerous events related to the "Power to End Stroke'' campaign sponsored by the local chapter of the American Heart Association, Houston Gulf Coast Division. 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