Yolanda King is survived by her sister, the Rev. Bernice King, Yolanda King and Martin Luther King III. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. King aroused controversy in high school for her role in a play. She asked her mother at this time, if she should hate the man who killed her father. Martin Luther King Jr.'s eldest child who pursued her father's dream of racial harmony through drama and motivational speaking, has died. Steve Klein, a spokesman for the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, said the cause of death had not been determined but seemed related to cardiopulmonary problems. ATLANTA - Yolanda King, the Rev. However, she was still misjudged and mistrusted because of her skin color, based on perceptions founded solely upon her relationship with her father. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. She was also on the board of the King Center. Yolanda King: 'Open My Eyes, Open My Soul'. She wore the mantle of princess, and she wore it with dignity and charm," Lowery said. Coretta had a blood clot move from her heart and lodge in an artery in her brain. We had cups of tea because it was so frigid that night, and then they were gone. She received a standing ovation afterwards, alongside a thunderous applause. It was the first and only institution where King was not harassed or mistreated because of who her father was. ", during a celebration that marked what would have been her father's sixty-fourth birthday. #inline-recirc-item--id-93e66a4a-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Heart Attack caused Yolanda King's death in 2007. 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. Gamilah Lumumba Shabazz Gamilah was born in 1964, the year before her dad's death. News & Notes remembers Yolanda King, eldest daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She passed away Tuesday at the age of 51. 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. In an interview with The Baltimore Sun in 1998, Ms. King said acting had liberated her, not least the parts unrelated to her family history. "[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. Below, she speaks at a 2000 Human Rights Campaign gala. 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. With Elodia Tate, she edited a motivational book emphasizing the importance of diversity. In the early hours of May 19, 2007, King's body was brought to Atlanta, Georgia by private plane belonging to Bishop Eddie Long. Despite this, she did voice opposition to President Ronald Reagan's reluctance to sign the law establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day, her father's national holiday. "Yolanda was lovely. [118], Despite this, she was quoted in January 2003 of saying that she was "a 100 percent, dyed-in-the-wool, card-carrying believer in 'The Dream'. As an actress, she appeared in numerous films and even played civil rights heroine Rosa Parks in the 1978 miniseries "King." 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. [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. [114] A public memorial for Yolanda King was held on May 24, 2007, at Ebenezer Baptist Church Horizon Sanctuary in Atlanta, Georgia. She proceeded to read his books, and started to believe that her father had been correct all along. "[128] January 2008's issue of Ebony, her relationship with Rev. "[53] At the time of her turmoil in college, King recalled having not known Malcolm X and "didn't understand daddy, so here I was trying to defend something I thought I knew about but really didn't. All three of her siblings lit a candle in her memory. She founded a production company called Higher Ground Productions. after numerous attempts to explain the issue to her, Yolanda finally understood. Bernice King at Yolanda King Memorial May 24, 2007 DryerBuzz An Original Digital 2.67K subscribers 309K views 15 years ago When Bernice brings the word, let's just say the word is delivered.. / CBS/AP. The four King children gathered at the February 2006 funeral of their mother, Coretta Scott King. When her father was assassinated on April 4, 1968, the 12-year-old King showed her composure during the public funeral and mourning events. Her father also addressed the issue himself. The actual cause of her death was not determined. The next-youngest, Dexter, leaned silently against his mother's side. The two were the same age. Yolanda King was the most visible of the four children during this year's Martin Luther King Day in January, the first since her mother's death. On her company's Web site, King described her mission as encouraging personal growth and positive social change. After her hour-long presentation, she joined her sister and her aunt, Christine King Farris, in signing books. [24], On May 15, 2007, King told her brother Dexter, that she was tired, though he thought nothing of it because of her "hectic" schedule. "Yolanda was lovely. Yolanda King, 51, Actor and Dr. King's Daughter, Dies By Douglas Martin May 17, 2007 Yolanda King, the eldest child of the Rev. [81] In October, King gave support for a Cabrini-Green family that wants to escape the violence, and a fundraiser for their cause. She then toured the country with the Christian Theater Artist Company, which she helped found. 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. Besides her brother Dexter Scott King, Yolanda King is survived by another brother, Martin Luther King III, and her sister, the Rev. In 1958, Dr. King narrowly escaped death when he was stabbed in a bookstore in Harlem. When asked by a young boy what she remembered most about her father, she admitted that her father was not able to spend much time with her and the rest of her family. Oliver Lang/AFP/Getty Images 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. The play was directed towards teens and focused on the 10th year reunion of six high school friends. 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.". Joseph Lowery, said Wednesday he was stunned and saddened by the news of King's death. I dream things that never were and say why not?". Death photos of Yolanda King Seeing Spots May 24, 2007 1 2 Next Seeing Spots Joyful Woman! "[117], To the time of her death, King continued to deny that her father's dreams and ideals would be fulfilled during her lifetime. [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. "[94] Following the September 11 attacks, King spoke in North Chicago in 2002 and related that her father's wisdom during the crisis would have been of great aid to her. In high school, she was president of her sophomore and junior classes and vice president of her senior class. There, in my living room, shaking off snow and laughing, were the kids in the picture two of them, anyway. Maybe when I'm older I won't be able to stand Yoki, but Yolanda sounds so formal!" Despite this, Shabazz still appeared in the state and performed in the play. 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." There, she joined hands with her siblings and mother along with other civil rights activists, singing We Shall Overcome. King served as a spokesperson for her mother during the illness that would eventually lead to her death. Alongside the physician that took care of her mother, Dr. Maggie Mermin and her sister, Yolanda told the press that her mother was making progress on a daily basis and was expected to make a full recovery. [102] During the fall of 2004 she played Mama in "A Raisin in the Sun" at the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts at Cornell University. "She was an actress, author, producer, advocate for peace and nonviolence, who was known and loved for her motivational and inspirational contributions to society," the King family said in a statement. King received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, a master's degree in theater from New York University,[59] and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Marywood University. Trending News She made lifelong friends while in the institution that would collectively be called the "Grady Girls". In 1979, Yolanda met Attallah Shabazz, the eldest daughter of Malcolm X,[60] after arrangements had been made by Ebony Magazine to take a photograph of the two women together. Martin Luther King Jr. 's eldest child who pursued her father's dream of racial harmony through drama and motivational speaking, has died. [12] After having not seen her father for five weeks while he was in jail, she finally was able to meet with him alongside both of her brothers for less than half an hour. Mrs. King said the children attended because they wanted to. 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. #inline-recirc-item--id-93e66a4a-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-93e66a4a-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { He may be dead physically, and one day I am going to see him again".[43]. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. [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. [114] She was 51. [36] She did admit that, had he lived or he been listened to more, "we would be in a far better place. When he did, she would play and swim with him. Yolanda, Martin, Dexter and Bernice King lost their father. [112] On May 12, 2007,[107] days before her death, she spoke at St. Mary Medical Center, on behalf of the American Stroke Association. Active human rights worker. He added she was "thoroughly committed to the movement and found her own means of expressing that commitment through drama. 2007 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Share Memory. I watched as the four King children grew into adulthood, then middle age, all single. Neither she nor her mother was injured when the device exploded on the front porch. The civil rights leader and wife Coretta Scott King were parents to four kids: sons Martin Luther King III, 65, and Dexter, 61, and daughters Yolanda and Bernice, 59. She called for Americans to memorialize those who gave their lives for "the struggle for peace and justice. ", 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.". 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. I thought of that evening often over the years, the unexpected appearance of the living children of a beloved icon. 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. "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. ATLANTA Yolanda King, the Rev. Yolanda King founded and led Higher Ground Productions, billed as a "gateway for inner peace, unity and global transformation." This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. 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.". 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. Raphael Warnock stated; "She dealt with the difficulty of personal pain and public responsibility and yet she emerged from it all victorious. "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.''. 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. Her deepest memories were the love of her father, who taught her to swim and playfully pummeled her but never spanked her. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. [66], She showed dissatisfaction with her "generation" on January 20, 1985, and referred to them as being "laid-back and unconcerned", and "forgetting the sacrifices that allowed them to get away with being so laid-back". She became an actress, ran a production company and appeared in numerous films, including "Ghosts of Mississippi," and as Rosa Parks in the 1978 miniseries "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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. King was cremated,[115] in accordance with her wishes. She felt teenagers were confused and were using drugs as a method to escape their problems. People Photos Purpose. He would be killed a scant three months later by an assassin's bullet. Yolanda King was born on November 17, 1955 and died on May 15, 2007. 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. As she said during an interview, "I prefer Yoki. [41] Her inclinations were driven to be artistic, which did not suit the political aspects of her father's life. Summary . Ms. Kings consistent goal was to infect her work, including her films, with her familys deeper purposes. Yolanda Denise King, daughter and eldest child of the Rev. She wrote "Yolanda proved daily that it was possible to smile while wreathed in sadness. Even in her infancy, Yolanda was faced with the threats her father was given when they extended to his family. 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. She was 7 when her father mentioned her and her siblings in his 1963 speech at the March on Washington: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.". Market data provided by Factset. Her educational accomplishments continued when she earned a Master of Fine Arts from New York University in 1979 (via Stanford). [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. Their play Stepping into Tomorrow was praised by supervisors as being "entertaining and enlightening." 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. "[126] Like her parents and siblings, King did not publicly affiliate with a political party. <img src="http://members.cox.net/jnashatty/P1020216.jpg" height=450 width=600> [3] Yolanda and her mother were not harmed. "[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. King; two brothers, Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King; and an extended family. [93] During a presentation in May 2000, King was asked if the human race would ever become "color blind". 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. [129] On May 25, 2008, her brother Martin Luther III and his wife, Arndrea, became the parents of a baby girl and named her Yolanda Renee King, after King herself. "[37] King openly stated years later that she did not hate James Earl Ray.[38]. 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. Eyes, Open My Soul ' Theater Artist company, which did not suit the political aspects her! Joined her sister and her aunt, Christine King Farris, in signing books death photos of yolanda founded! 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