Dexter King, 62, son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., loses three-year battle with prostate cancer

The destructive, disproportionate and often deadly impact of prostate cancer on Black men, which recently dominated headlines after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin underwent an emergency procedure for the disease, has reared its ugly head once more following the death of Dexter Scott King.

Dexter, the youngest son and the third of four children of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, died on Monday, Jan. 22, at his home in Malibu, Calif., after a three-year battle with prostate cancer – just a few days shy of his 63rd birthday.

“He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu,” said his strongest supporter, best friend and wife of 11 years, Leah Weber King, in a statement. “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.”

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 30, 1961, he was named after Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala., where his father first served as pastor. Dexter, who was only seven in 1968 when his father was assassinated, grew up with his siblings, Yolanda, Martin III and Bernice, in Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, like their father. Dexter later followed in his father’s footsteps and attended Morehouse College in Atlanta.

Reportedly humble because of his uncanny resemblance to his father, Dexter, at the time of his death, 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 were the results of his dedication to the delegated task and the memory of his parents.

In a written statement posted on social media, his sister, the Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center, said “words cannot express the heartbreak I feel from losing another sibling. I’m praying for strength to get through this very difficult time.” His brother, Martin III, who was out of the country when he received the news, said “the sudden shock is devastating. It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this.”

Bernice shares memories of her brother
Members of the King family, including the daughters of Dr. King’s brother (A.D. King) and sister (Christine King Farris), joined Bernice for a press conference, presented on YouTube, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, held at The King Center’s Yolanda D. King Theatre inside Freedom Hall. Bernice spoke on behalf of the family and answered questions from reporters following her remarks.

“There’s a lot I could say about my brother,” she said while attempting to maintain her composure and hold back her tears. “I remember spending time in the evening when I was about 10 or 11, braiding my brothers’ hair. Back then, people believed it would make their hair grow. I was a tomboy and played basketball with Dexter – football, too, until I had sense enough to stop.

“Dexter always had an interest in business and he was always very creative, innovative and ambitious,” she said, adding that she followed him in several of his childhood business pursuits, albeit “only as a hobby,” including as a photographer and a DJ for parties.

“We were on a family retreat, preparing to decide who would succeed my mother [following her death, Jan. 30, 2006] at The King Center,” Bernice noted. “I was in law and divinity schools at Emory University. Yolanda was into her acting career and Martin was on the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. We all looked at Dexter and said, ‘it falls on you.’

“We knew because of his business sense that he was the best person for the job. He took the helm, later resigned for a time and then returned. He was ahead of his time – something even I didn’t understand at first. And while he came under vicious attacks by the media and by self-proclaimed scholars, he had a vision and a prophetic intent. And I’m going to make sure his vision comes to pass through the work at The King Center because our world needs it like never before.

“This year, I was able to spend some meaningful and quality time with my brother. He often told me, and I told him, ‘I love you.’ One time, he looked in my eyes and told me was proud of me and the work I continue to do. He told me to take it forward. I’m going to miss our conversations, the laughter, the reminiscing, his brilliance and how he was also such a fierce protector of me and our family.

“My mother used to tell us that people will try to re-assassinate our father in different ways, so be prepared. But most important, Mother told us that we didn’t have to be her or Daddy. We just had to be our best self. Doing that – being our best self – hasn’t made it easier but it has made it manageable. Each of us, including Dexter, have had our own place – our own role to play – in [maintaining] the legacy of our father. And that’s something about which my brother remained fiercely focused.”

Bernice King speaks to Black men of America about cancer
“Black men – don’t be afraid,” she said. “Dexter was a vegan for 30 years and he took care of himself. You, my Black brothers, are treasures, too. We want you to take care of yourselves. As for the women by your sides – wife, mother, girlfriend, mate, daughter, sister – I urge them to push our brothers gently. Make sure they’re tested regularly. We have to do a better job at disseminating information about the health challenges [African Americans] face. We’ve done a better job with breast cancer than prostate cancer but these cancers can be ferocious. God moves in mysterious ways and I never question God. The beauty here is Dexter fought cancer for 3 ½ years and he almost won. But it came back. I just hope others will not wait until it’s too late. Don’t wait until something’s wrong.”

For more about prostate cancer and its disproportionate impact on African American men, please see the article, “Defense Secretary’s Secret Surgical Procedure Paves the Way for More Open Dialogue About Prostate Cancer,” published Jan. 14, 2024 on our website.
(https://njurbannews.com/2024/01/14/defense-secretarys-surgical-procedure-paves-the-way-for-more-open-dialogue-about-prostate-cancer/).