ATLANTA — Dexter Scott King, the youngest son and third child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, has died, according to The King Center.
According to a release, King passed away peacefully in his home in California on Monday at the age of 62 following a battle with prostate cancer.
Born in Atlanta, King was named after Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father served his first pastorate, according to a statement.
He was the second-born son of Dr. & Mrs. King and was only seven years old when his father was assassinated in 1968.
In its statement, The King Center noted that he "was the family member delegated to take on the mantle of continuing the precedent his father set by legally protecting his work.
He devoted his life to the continued perpetuation of his father’s legacy and the protection of the intellectual property (IP) his father left behind. At the time of his death Dexter served as both Chairman of The King Center and President of the King Estate. Becoming well versed in intellectual property law, and its management and licensing was the result of his dedication to the delegated task and the memory of both his father and mother."
"I am deeply saddened to share that my brother, Dexter Scott King, has passed away. The sudden shock is devastating. 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," Dexter's brother, Martin Luther King III, added in a statement.
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