Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has passed away just days before what would have been his 63rd birthday. Dexter had been fighting prostate cancer.
"He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu", says his best friend of 21 years and wife of 11 years, Leah Weber King. "He gave it everything and battled this terrible disease until the end. As with all the challenges in his life, he faced this hurdle with bravery and might."
Dexter was a graduate of Frederick Douglass High School, Morehouse College, and at the time of his death, Dexter was both Chairman of The King Center and President of the King Estate.
In a statement, Dexter's sister, Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center stated, "words cannot express the heart break I feel from losing another sibling. I'm praying for strength to get through this very difficult time."
Dexter's brother, Martin Luther King, III said, ''The sudden shock is devastating. It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this. We ask for your prayers at this time for the entire King family."
Memorial service arrangements will be announced at a later time, and as for now, the King family is requesting privacy. The family is planning to address the public in a press conference planned for Tuesday, January 23rd, at 10:00 am ET, at The King Center's Yolanda D. King Theatre inside Freedom Hall.
