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.". 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. From left: Dexter King, the Rev. Her career as an actor and speaker combined her father's activism with her own artistic pursuits. 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. She was one of the first black children at a previously segregated elementary school in Atlanta, where she endured racial epithets. [114] She was 51. She was among 187 people arrested during a demonstration by lesbian and gay rights activists. Prior to the film's release, King expressed belief in children of the time knowing that "Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, but when it is time to talk about the facts and the history, there is not a lot of knowledge. Funeral arrangements would be announced later, the family said in a statement. With Yolanda King, she also founded a group named Nucleus, Inc. in 1977. In response, she pushed for "the goal" to be "color acceptance. 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. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who melded her father's. Martin Luther King Jr. 's eldest child who pursued her father's dream of racial harmony through drama and motivational speaking, has died. In 1974, an apparent madman fired a gun in the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta and killed her grandmother Alberta Williams King. hide caption. After she suggested that he would most likely give it all away, King laughed with her mother. Ms. King graduated from Smith College and earned a master of fine arts degree from New York University. 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. 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. Anyone can read what you share. [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. Jesse Jackson stated that King "lived with a lot of the trauma of our struggle. 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 career as an actor and speaker combined her father's activism with her own artistic pursuits. 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. As she said during an interview, "I prefer Yoki. King; two brothers, Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King; and an extended family. None of them have children, and there will be no third generation of Kings to carry on Martin Luther King's legacy. [29] King complimented her mother as a "brave and strong lady," leading to a hug between them. She asked her mother at this time, if she should hate the man who killed her father. Martin Luther King Jr. , Rev. [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]. The "commitment" to diverse members in the audience and the play itself, was what represented the opportunities for which King fought. She proceeded to read his books, and started to believe that her father had been correct all along. She reflected "I had never read his works. [112] On May 12, 2007,[107] days before her death, she spoke at St. Mary Medical Center, on behalf of the American Stroke Association. Lawmakers and activists including Andrea Waters King , Yolanda Renee King, the granddaughter of Rev. NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates offers a personal note on Yolanda King. Legal Statement. [57] Her mother's support helped in starting her acting career. 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". In 1966, Yolanda listened to a speech her father gave when he was addressing a rally. [39] During a Sunday visit to Church, King was forced to stand before the congregation and explain her actions. Martin Luther King Jr., has died, said Steve Klein, a spokesman for the King Center. Heart Attack caused Yolanda King's death in 2007. When she returned home, she rushed to confront her mother about his death and even ignored her grandfather, Martin Luther King, Sr., to tell her mother what she had heard and that they would not get their "freedom now." When asked then by The Associated Press how she was dealing with the loss of her mother, King responded: "I connected with her spirit so strongly. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. "[54] On April 4, 1975, King joined her family in placing azaleas over her father's crypt, marking the seventh anniversary of his assassination.[55]. "Hey, hope you don't mind, but I brought Yoki and Marty with me," he apologized as the three swept up the stairs of my DuPont Circle townhouse. 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. [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. The only reason why Black History Month was created and still exists is because America is still struggling and trying to come to grips, come to terms with the diversity of its people. King's mother, Coretta Scott King, suffered a stroke before her death from cancer in 2006. She was 12 when her father was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., in 1968. [11] When she was 6 years old, she was saddened by classmates' remarks that her father was a "jailbird". The two were the same age. All rights reserved. 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. In the early hours of May 19, 2007, King's body was brought to Atlanta, Georgia by private plane belonging to Bishop Eddie Long. May 24, 2007 #1 A friend of mines sent me these photos, so I cannot verify the authenticity.I think she looks beautiful. Yolanda King is survived by her sister, the Rev. Her father admitted that he had never adjusted to bringing up children under "inexplicable conditions". [8] The Kings would have another daughter, almost eight years later, named Bernice (born 1963). Photos honoring the life of Yolanda King from Santa Monica, California - ADVERTISEMENT - Play Music Pause Music Tweet; Help | Login | Sign Up; . [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. "[70] After the move, she founded Higher Ground Productions where she produced and starred in a myriad of films. [97] King and Elodia Tate co-edited the book Open My Eyes, Open My Soul: Celebrating Our Common Humanity,[98][99] published by McGraw-Hill in 2003. U.S. Yolanda King Dead At Age 51 May 16, 2007 / 5:32 AM / CBS/AP The King Center in Atlanta set up to preserve the legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King says his oldest. Martin Luther King Jr., died late Tuesday in Santa Monica, Calif. She was 51. Death of Yolanda King. [40] At that time, King still did not know what she wanted to do with her life, but acknowledged that many wanted her to be a preacher. 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. [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. Being a busy woman, her brother merely treated it as one of her hectic schedules. "While Mrs. King was alive, the standards to which she would hold any potential life partner of any of her children would be so high as to be almost unmeetable," he speculates. She wore the mantle of princess, and she wore it with dignity and charm," said the Rev. We compared notes about having gone to women's colleges and teased each other about the perceived weaknesses of our respective alma maters. Suzan Johnson Cook was highlighted in an article written by the minister, as she dubbed her deceased longtime friend a "queen whose name was King". News & Notes remembers Yolanda King, eldest daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She passed away Tuesday at the age of 51. ATLANTA Yolanda King, the Rev. We had cups of tea because it was so frigid that night, and then they were gone. In her teenage years, King preferred to go by her nickname "Yoki." Yolanda King is survived by her sister, the Rev. 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. WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 18: Yolanda Renee King, the granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr., finishes preaching at the Washington National Cathedral January 18, 2022 in Washington, DC. ATLANTA (AP) On April 4, 1968, a movement lost its patriarch when the Rev. 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." Garrow says his first inclination when he heard of Yolanda's death was: This is it. Yolanda King was born on November 17, 1955 and died on May 15, 2007. [33] Bill Cosby flew to Atlanta after the funeral and entertained King and her siblings. Houston is in for dust and gray skies as Texas haboob arrives, Oops! And that's how we can effectively commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.". "[126] Like her parents and siblings, King did not publicly affiliate with a political party. [50] Speaking last January in Atlanta at Ebenezer Baptist Church where her father preached for many years Yolanda exhorted those observing the national holiday that bears his name to remember that America has not yet achieved peace and racial equality. King died late Tuesday in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 51, said Steve Klein, a spokesman for the King Center. 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. [80] That same year, she also spoke at Indiana University. It was the first and only institution where King was not harassed or mistreated because of who her father was. 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.". 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. 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. Martin Luther King Jr., and a friend of the gay community, died on May 15. 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. She allowed me to give myself permission to be me." (After all, she was a theater major.) [93] During a presentation in May 2000, King was asked if the human race would ever become "color blind". People Photos Purpose. [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. 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. You can help our automatic cover photo selection by reporting an unsuitable photo. "[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]. Martin Luther King Jr.'s eldest child who pursued her father's dream of racial harmony through acting 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. Three officers shot, standoff follows in Kansas City, Mo., police say, Vanessa Bryant, family settles claims over Kobe crash site photos for $28.5M, Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect, Pennsylvania police seized gloves, flashlight from home of Idaho murders suspect, CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat". Yolanda Denise King, 51, the eldest daughter of the late civil rights leader Rev. ATLANTA Yolanda Denise King, the Rev. Her mother, Coretta Scott King, died last year. Klein said the family did not know the cause of death but think it might have been a heart problem. "She lived with a lot of the trauma of our struggle," said the Rev. Leading up to her death, she was still active in the public eye. Her paternal grandfather, the Rev. Her mother started to realize that Yolanda had become more aware of the possibility that her father could be killed as well. "[69] King started Black History Month of 1986 by giving a speech in Santa Ana, which called for the study of African-American history to not be "relegated to the shortest and coldest month of the year. "Yolanda was lovely. Showing Editorial results for yolanda king. The statement was made while she was in the presence of 800 people who gathered to honor her father at the Everett Theatre. Her family has speculated that her death was caused by a heart condition. King; two brothers, Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King; and an extended family. 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". Yolanda King's bio. Below, she speaks at a 2000 Human Rights Campaign gala. "[88] She honored her father in 1995 by performing in the Chicago Sinfonietta in the play "A Lincoln Portrait", in which she was the narrator. When asked about how she was faring following her mother's death, Yolanda responded: "I connected with her spirit so strongly. 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. "[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. The head of the school was Walt Roberts, father of the actors Eric and Julia Roberts. [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. King died late Tuesday in Santa Monica, Calif., said Steve Klein, a spokesman for the King Center. She stated that her father had a "magnificent dream", but admitted that "it still is only a dream. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. Yolanda died due to a chronic heart condition in 2007. [4] Despite this, the front porch was damaged and glass broke in the home. [103] King was having a conversation with her mother in her home when she stopped talking. It seems we've stood still and in many ways gone backward since Martin Luther King Jr. was alive. "Yolanda was lovely. She was the godmother of acclaimed actress RaVen Larrymore Kelly. Their play Stepping into Tomorrow was praised by supervisors as being "entertaining and enlightening." "[92], King attended and spoke at the Human Rights Campaign Detroit Gala Dinner of 2000. Staff writer Kevin Moran contributed to this report. ", 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.". [39] She was active in student government and drama. Yolanda King, 51, Actor and Dr. King's Daughter, Dies By Douglas Martin May 17, 2007 Yolanda King, the eldest child of the Rev. 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