Martin Luther King III

Martin Luther King III (born October 23, 1957) is an American human rights activist and philanthropist. He is the second child and eldest son of the famous civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Growing up in a family dedicated to fighting for equal rights, Martin Luther King III learned the importance of standing up for what is right from a young age.

He served as the fourth president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference from 1997 to 2004. This organization, founded by his father, continues to work for justice and equality for all people. In this role, King worked to carry on his family's legacy by supporting many important causes.

Today, as of 2024, Martin Luther King III is a professor of practice at the University of Virginia. There, he teaches and inspires students to make a positive difference in the world. His life and work show how one person can continue to make a big impact, even after their parents have passed on.

Early life

Martin Luther King III was born on October 23, 1957, in Montgomery, Alabama to civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. He grew up in Vine City, a neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia, with his three siblings: Yolanda, Dexter, and Bernice. When he was ten, his father was sadly assassinated.

King attended Spring Street Elementary School and later The Galloway School. He graduated from Morehouse College in 1979 with a degree in political science. Like his father, he was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Adult life and career

Martin Luther King III took an active role in fighting for human rights. In 1985, he was arrested alongside his mother and sister during a protest against apartheid in South Africa. He later entered politics, winning a seat in the Fulton County Commission and serving from 1987 to 1993. He also worked to protect his father’s legacy by helping manage the use of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s name and image.

King spoke in support of Barack Obama during the 2008 Democratic National Convention, marking a historic moment as Obama became the first African American nominated by a major party for president. He also gave a tribute speech at Michael Jackson’s memorial service in 2009. In public statements, King emphasized the importance of justice and fairness, criticizing efforts to use his father’s name without addressing key civil rights issues.

Working with President Barack Obama

Martin Luther King III spoke at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in support of Barack Obama, noting that his father would be proud of this historic moment. On the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday in 2009, King joined Obama in a community service project at a shelter for homeless teens in Washington, D.C.

Michael Jackson's memorial service

Martin Luther King III gave a tribute speech at Michael Jackson’s memorial service in Los Angeles in 2009, joining his sister Bernice in honoring the musician.

Public response during Trump impeachment trial

In 2020, Martin Luther King III responded publicly after a member of President Donald Trump’s legal team quoted his father during Trump’s impeachment trial. King criticized the use of his father’s name, stating that it was hypocritical to invoke Dr. King while ignoring the issues of justice and fairness that he championed.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

In 1997, Martin Luther King III was chosen to lead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an important civil rights group started by his father. As its fourth president, he worked on issues like stopping police brutality and supported changing the Georgia state flag.

King faced some challenges during his time as leader. He was asked to be more active and agree to new plans for the group. Later, he focused on important issues such as fairness for prisoners and closing the gap in technology between different groups of people.

Drum Major Institute

Martin Luther King III is the Chairman of the Drum Major Institute. This institute was started in 1999 to support the ideas of his father, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. It aims to create a world without racism, poverty, or violence. The institute carries on the work of an earlier group called the Harry Wachtel Foundation, founded in 1960 by his father’s lawyer, Harry Wachtel, Sr.. In interviews, King has talked about the importance of working to end poverty, racism, and violence by promoting peace, justice, and fairness. He reminds us of his parents' message through Coretta Scott King’s legacy as well.

King Center

In 2006, King founded an organization called Realizing The Dream. On April 4, 2008, the fortieth anniversary of his father's death, King and Al Sharpton led a march around Memphis, Tennessee. There, he visited the Lorraine Motel for the first time since his father's death and placed a wreath where he stood before being shot. As he spoke to those who participated in the march, King called for them to continue his father's fight and promoted Realizing the Dream, which he said sought to eliminate poverty.

On April 6, 2010, Martin Luther King III, brother Dexter King, and sister Bernice King issued a joint statement, announcing the re-election of Martin Luther King III as president and CEO of The King Center. As president of The King Center, King has been credited with spearheading an innovative "King Center Imaging Project" in partnership with JPMorgan Chase, which is digitizing and photographing an estimated 200,000 historic documents, including his father's speeches, sermons, correspondence and other writings and making the documents available on-line to the world. In addition, King launched "The King Center Audio and Visual Digitization Project" in partnership with Syracuse University which will "preserve and digitize some 3,500 hours of audio and video footage" of his father. He has also developed a $100 million renovation plan to upgrade The King Center's Freedom Hall Complex, the first major improvement in the center's site and facilities in its 30-year history.

Along with Reverend Al Sharpton and a number of other civil rights leaders, on August 28, 2010, King took part in the 'Reclaim the Dream' commemorative march, marking the 47th anniversary of the historic Great March on Washington. The event coincided with Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor rally planned for the same day on the eastern part of the Mall.

On April 4, 2011, the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of his father, King helped to lead nationwide demonstrations against initiatives to eliminate and undermine the collective bargaining rights of public workers in Wisconsin and other states.

In August 2013, King went to Philadelphia, where he joined Mayor Michael Nutter in announcing the city's joining of a national campaign on poverty, jobs and education. To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the March on Washington, King traveled to Washington, along with other civil rights leaders. On November 21, 2013, King spoke at DePauw University regarding his memories of John F. Kennedy's assassination.

King appeared on MSNBC's The Cycle on May 9, 2014. He was asked by co-host Touré if he believed that the Democratic Party has done enough to get the overwhelming support from African Americans it receives. King's answer is said to have shocked the host. "The party does not do enough," he said. "It's our responsibility to hold the party accountable. And I'm not sure we do that. I think we have to find a way to hold the parties accountable." He went on to say that he believed there should be communication between African Americans and the Tea Party Movement, saying "the only way you change is you have to be at least communicating".

Ferguson, Missouri

In August 2014, Martin Luther King III spoke about the shooting of Michael Brown and planned to visit Ferguson, Missouri. He joined a rally with Brown’s parents and later attended Brown’s funeral. In an interview, King shared that his father would feel sad about the unrest that followed the court decision.

Other pursuits and interests

In January 2011, Martin Luther King III talked about trying to work with the New York Mets baseball team to help make things fairer for everyone. He helped start Bounce TV, a television network for Black audiences. Today, he is on the advisory board for Let America Vote, a group that works to make sure everyone can vote easily.

In February 2021, King spoke at an event in Mexico to honor a former Mexican leader. He also visited a statue of his father in Mexico City.

Ministers March for Justice

On August 28, 2017, Martin Luther King III marched with Al Sharpton in Washington D.C. for the Ministers March for Justice. This event brought together over 3,000 ministers to speak out against the policies of President Donald Trump.

2021 New York City mayoral election

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day January 18, 2021, Martin Luther King III shared a video where he endorsed New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang. He praised Yang's plan to offer a guaranteed minimum income, an idea inspired by King’s father, and joined the campaign as a co-chair.

Realizing the Dream

On January 15, 2024, Martin Luther King III announced a special project called "Realizing the Dream." This project brings together young people, teachers, and communities to do good work together. The goal is to help make the world a better place by doing 100 million hours of helpful activities by the year 2029.

Martin Luther King III shared his ideas at big sports events, like football and basketball games. He talked about how important it is for people to work together, even when they disagree. He also wrote a book with some famous friends, and they plan to share more stories about making a difference through a podcast.

Family

In May 2006, Martin Luther King III married his longtime partner, Arndrea Waters. On May 25, 2008, they had a daughter named Yolanda Renee King. She was the first and only grandchild of Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King. Yolanda was named after her aunt, Yolanda King, who passed away the year before. When she was 9 years old, Yolanda spoke at the March for Our Lives demonstration in Washington, D.C. on March 24, 2018.

Honors and awards

Martin Luther King III has received several honors for his work in human rights. In 2006, he helped start the Super Bowl XL ceremonies by presenting a special coin. Later, in 2008, he threw the first pitch at a special baseball game called the Civil Rights Game.

In 2010, King was given an award in Mumbai, India, for his efforts in promoting human rights. In 2015, he received a Humanitarian Award from the Montreal Black Film Festival for his contributions.