Dexter Scott King, the younger son of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, has died, his brother said. He was 62.
King died after a battle with prostate cancer. His wife, Leah Weber King, said in a statement that he died peacefully in his sleep.
“He gave it everything and battled this terrible disease until the end,” she said. “As with all the challenges in his life, he faced this hurdle with bravery and might.”
Martin Luther King III said he was deeply saddened to share the news of his brother’s death.
“The sudden shock is devastating,” he said in a statement Monday. “It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this. Please keep the entire King family in your prayers, and in particular Dexter’s wife, Leah Weber King.”
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King portrayed his father in the movie “The Rosa Parks Story.” He was also an activist and served as chairman of the King Center and president of the King Estate, according to the King Center.
His sister Bernice King, CEO of the King Center, said “words cannot express the heart break I feel from losing another sibling. I’m praying for strength to get through this very difficult time.”
King’s death was mourned by the Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network.
“I was heartbroken to hear that Dexter King left us this morning, but I was comforted by the knowledge he is reunited with his parents and sister,” Sharpton said. “Dexter was only seven when his hero, his role model, and, most importantly, his father was taken from us. He turned that pain into activism, however, and dedicated his life to advancing the dream Martin and Coretta Scott King had for their children, their grandchildren, and all the generations to come after.”
Dexter King, the third of the Kings’ four children, was just 7 years old when his father was assassinated in 1968. He was named after Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father served as a pastor.
His mother, Coretta Scott Kingdied in 2006, followed by the Kings’ oldest child, Yolanda Kingin 2007.
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