Meet Martin Luther King Jr.'s Only Grandchild Yolanda Renee King! All About the Young Activist (and Why She Still Feels His ‘Presence’ Despite Never Meeting)

Mar. 15, 2025

Yolanda Renee King being honored before an MLB game at Great American Ball Park on August 02, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio ; Civil rights activist and minister Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. attends a dinner circa 1967.Photo:Jason Mowry/Getty ; Martin Mills/Getty

Jason Mowry/Getty ; Martin Mills/Getty

Yolanda Renee King is following in her grandfather’s footsteps.

The only grandchild ofMartin Luther King Jr., Yolanda was born toMartin Luther King IIIand Arndrea Waters King on May 25, 2008.

Yolanda didn’t get a chance to meet her grandparents, MLK Jr. and his wife,Coretta Scott King, because they both died before she was born, though she’s always felt tied to their mission for change.

DuringClemson University’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Keynote Program in January 2023, she admitted she was “very proud to be their granddaughter” and added that “we are all challenged to carry forth their unfinished work.”

Despite being unable to vote at the time, Yolanda powerfully affirmed that she was “not too young to get involved,” encouraging others to do so too. “I’m 14 years old, and I’m just getting started,” she shared. Despite her young age, Yolanda has used her voice to advocate for causes close to her, including ending gun violence and improving education.

From her work as an activist to her strong family ties, here’s everything to know about Martin Luther King Jr.’s granddaughter, Yolanda Renee King.

She was born and raised in Georgia

Martin Luther King III, Yolanda Renee King, and Arndrea Waters King at ‘The Embrace’ sculpture unveiling on January 13, 2003 in Boston, MA.MediaPunch/Shutterstock

MediaPunch/Shutterstock

Martin III and Arndrea welcomed their first and only daughter, Yolanda, on May 25, 2008.

She was born and raised in Atlanta, where she learned of MLK Jr.’s impact on the civil rights movement through her father — a fellow activist and advocate — according to a January 2024 essay she wrote forPARENTS.

She’s an activist

“As a result, I’ve been able to travel extensively with my parents, speaking out on many causes, including some important ones such as gun control, climate change, education and literacy,” Yolanda wrote.

The teenager has spoken about many social and cultural issues at several events, including a 2018March for Our Lives demonstration, the2020 D.C. Commitment Marchand 2023’sMarch on Washington. At the March for Our Lives rally, Yolanda revealed she wasn’t initially “scheduled to speak” but felt inspired to do so after being asked to honor MLK Jr. and Coretta.

“I immediately thought of my grandparents and all they had stood for,” she wrote in her PARENTS essay. “I led a chant that turned into a call-and-response anthem that quickly caught on with kids everywhere: ‘Spread the word. Have you heard? All across the nation. We are going to be. A great generation!’ ”

As Yolanda continues to speak on important causes, she understands the importance of “extend[ing] my grandparents’ legacy” while also figuring out what causes stand out to her the most.

“People often ask me if I plan to follow in my grandparents’ footsteps. Thanks to their guiding wisdom and determination, I now have my own footsteps and journey,” she penned. “While I follow their example, I’m also ready to lead, to forge my own path.”

She was named after her aunt

Martin Luther King III holds his daughter, Yolanda Renee King, during a wreath laying ceremony at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Monument on Sunday, January 20, 2013, in Washington, D.C.Gabriel B. Tait/Tribune News Service via Getty

Gabriel B. Tait/Tribune News Service via Getty

While Yolanda is committed to honoring her grandfather’s legacy, she was named after another close relative. Her name comes from her aunt, Yolanda King, MLK Jr.’s first-born child and eldest daughter.

Like her father and niece, the elder Yolanda was an activist. She graduated from Smith College with a degree in theater and African American studies and received her master’s degree in theater from New York University in 1979.

During her time working in theater, she notably collaborated withAttallah Shabazz,Malcolm X’s daughter. The elder Yolanda died on May 15, 2007, almost one year before her niece’s birthdate.

She never met Martin Luther King Jr.

Yolanda Renee King speaks at the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” Commitment March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 2020 in Washington, DC.Jonathan Ernst/UPI/Shutterstock

Jonathan Ernst/UPI/Shutterstock

Yolanda’s father was only 10 when MLK Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Though she never met her grandfather, the young activist has always felt a strong connection to MLK Jr. and Coretta.

“My grandparents were very special people. They had many dreams for a better world,” Yolanda wrote in her PARENTSessay. “I still feel their presence very strongly.”

As she grows up, Yolanda keeps her grandparents' ideals close and continues to learn about their individual impacts on the civil rights movement.

“My grandfather told the world, ‘Love is the key.’ My grandmother taught us, ‘When the heart is right, the mind and body will follow,’ ” she wrote. “I’ve held these wise words very close to my own heart, holding them like a set of keys that can open doors to all that’s possible.”

She’s spoken out against gun violence

Yolanda Renee King speaks on the National Mall during the “March on Washington” on August 28, 2021 in Washington, DC.Ken Cedeno/UPI/Shutterstock

Ken Cedeno/UPI/Shutterstock

“Most people won’t take a 14-year-old seriously when it comes to addressing gun violence. What do I know, right? Well, I know when it is time for change,” she wrote following two mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas.

Yolanda addressed the tragedies that took place within 10 days of each other, affirming that “enough is enough.”

During her keynote speech at Clemson University in January 2023, the activist encouraged attendees to use their vote to fight for change in the wake of gun violence.

“As my grandfather once said, ‘The most important step you can take is the short walk to the ballot box,’ ” she said. “That’s why he and my grandmother, Coretta Scott King, led the Selma to Montgomery March for Voting Rights in 1965.”

She’s an author

Yolanda Renee King holds the children’s book she authored titled “We Dream a World” in December 2023.Yolanda Renee King/ Instagram

Yolanda Renee King/ Instagram

In 2024, Yolanda released her picture bookWe Dream a World. In her essay for PARENTS, she revealed that the book was written “as a gift” to MLK Jr. and Coretta and a “special offering to kids and families everywhere” as a beacon of hope.

“We Dream a Worldis my way of carrying my grandparents’ message to young people everywhere,” she wrote. “And it’s also my way of sharing hopes and dreams for a new generation.”

Yolanda publishedWe Dream a Worldat age 15 to tell young people “that no one is too young to stand up and fight for the causes they believe.”

“My hope is thatWe Dream a Worldhelps them remain optimistic and excited about their ability to change the future, and shows them that if we all work together, we can create a better brighter world for everyone,” she added.

She launched a nonprofit with her parents

Yolanda Renee King with her mother Arndrea Waters King and father Martin Luther King III after the United Nations General Assembly in March 2024.Yolanda Renee King/ Instagram

“Volunteering and service to others is not just about helping those in need; it’s also about building bridges and fostering understanding between people,” they wrote on the organization’s website. “It’s an opportunity to step outside our comfort zones and connect with others on a deeper, more meaningful level.”

source: people.com