Yolanda King, the eldest daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King died May 15. She was 51. King died in Santa Monica, California. The cause of death has yet to be determined.
In a released statement, the King family said, “She was an actress, author, producer, advocate for peace and nonviolence, who was known and loved for her motivational and inspirational contributions to society.”
Born Nov. 17, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. King was an actress who appeared in numerous films, including Ghosts of Mississippi and the 1978 television miniseries King. She was also founder of Higher Ground Productions.
King was born just two weeks before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus there, leading to the Montgomery bus boycott spearheaded by her father.
And the King family home was bombed Jan. 30, 1956 – when King was just 10 weeks old. Neither she nor her mother was injured when the device exploded on the front porch.
And King was 7-years-old when, her father delivered historic “I Have A Dream” speech at the March on Washington.
And she was only12 when her father was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., in 1968. Funeral arrangements are pending.