Dexter Scott King, son of Martin Luther King Jr., dies after an intense battle with cancer
His wife, Leah Weber King, said in a statement that he died “peacefully in his sleep.”
Imagen original: John Mathew Smith; Wikimedia Commons. Edición de Voz Media.
This Monday, Dexter Scott King, the third of the four children of the historic reverend and social activist Martin Luther King Jr., died at age 62 amid an intense fight against prostate cancer.
He was the youngest son of the reverend, who was murdered when Dexter was just 7 years old.
Dr. King died in April 1968 while supporting striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. Regarding the event, Scott King highlighted in his memoir "Growing Up King" (2004) that the murder of his father had brought forward the end of his childhood as he knew it.
"Ever since I was seven, I've felt I must be formal," wrote Scott King. "Formality, seriousness, certitude — all these are difficult poses to maintain, even if you're a person with perfect equilibrium, with all the drama life throws at you."
During his lifetime, Scott King practiced as an attorney and dedicated much of his efforts to maintaining his father's legacy intact and protecting the King family's intellectual property.
He served as president of the King Center and the King estate president.
In addition to his efficient work in family organizations, Dexter stood out for his incredible physical resemblance to his father, Martin, to the point that he played him in 2002 in the American film "The Rosa Parks Story."
The King Center in Atlanta said Scott King died peacefully at his home in Malibu, California.
His wife, Leah Weber King, said in a statement that he died "peacefully in his sleep."
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