All about Martin Luther King's four children

Martin Luther King Jr. was set up on a blind date with his future wife, Coretta Scott, in 1952, while the pair were completing their graduate studies in Boston. Coretta was said to be worried their relationship would mean sacrificing her independence – but their first conversation revealed a shared vision for equality.

“I told my mother, ‘Coretta is going to be my wife,’” Dr. King wrote in his autobiography.

The pair married in 1953, where Coretta wore a blue dress and omitted the word “obey” from her vows. They remained married until MLK’s assassination in 1968.

Dr. King and Coretta welcomed their daughter Yolanda in 1955, who grew up to become a renowned activist.

In an interview with Playboy in 1965, her father recalled his 6-year-old daughter’s desire to visit a segregated amusement park in Atlanta, sharing that it was “the first time that prejudice based upon skin color had been explained to her”.

Yolanda grew up to continue her father’s legacy as a civil rights activist, and also appeared in a slew of poignant films, including Ghosts of Mississippi (1996) alongside Whoopi Goldberg. 

Yolanda passed away in 2007, just 16 months after her mother. Her brother Martin paid tribute to his sister on her birthday, writing on Instagram: “I carry her memory with me every day and see her legacy live on in the work for justice and love”.

Martin Luther King III was born while his father was speaking at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, and later became president of the same organisation in 1997. Prior to his career as a human rights activist, he studied political science at Morehouse College, where his father also attended.

“The legacy is really a legacy of love, respect and understanding and creating a nation where freedom, justice, and equality exist for all humankind,” Martin shared in a 2020 speech.

Martin married his wife, Arndrea Waters, in 2006, is now a professor of practice at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. The pair share one daughter, 17-year-old Yolanda Renee, who was named after her late aunt.

The couple’s youngest son, Dexter was born in 1961 and also followed his parents and siblings into a life of activism. He also served as the Chairman of The King Center and CEO of the King Estate.

Reflecting on growing up in the public eye, Dexter commented: “It’s like you’re not allowed to make mistakes or go through the normal growth process. I still did what I had to do and stayed strong, resolute and determined to overcome whatever adversity I encountered.”

Like his sister, Dexter was also involved in the film industry, even playing his father in The Rosa Parks Story (2002).

He passed away in 2024 at age 62, leaving behind his wife, Leah Weber.

The youngest child of the revolutionary activists, Bernice’s father was assassinated shortly before her fifth birthday. Both a lawyer and minister, she has spoken openly about comparisons to her parents – but shared the sage advice Coretta gave.

“What helps me there is when my mother used to tell us growing up, ‘You don’t have to be me, you don’t have to be your father, but whatever you do in this life, be your best self,’” she told the SPL Center. 

Bernice became the first woman elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and is also the current CEO of The King Center.