ATLANTA — Dexter Scott King, the third child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, died at the age of 62 after battling prostate cancer.
He was the chairman of the King Center and worked to defend their legacies.
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Channel 2′s Michael Doudna was live at the King Center and spoke with people who grew up with him.
They say he was kind and noble, and dedicated his life to protecting and furthering his father’s legacy.
Donzaleigh Abernathy can’t help but look back on childhood memories.
“I just remember Little Dexter. Who was so full of life and so gentle,” said Abernathy.
Her dad, Ralph Abernathy, was one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s closest friends. As the two civil rights leaders worked together, their families grew up together.
“We saw them seven days a week,” said Abernathy.
She was there as the young boy grew into a man who looked and sounded like his father.
“Always composed. And like his dad he had this little tremble in his voice, that thing Uncle Martin had,” she said.
Former mayor and close friend to the King family, Ambassador Andrew Young, says Dexter took his father’s death hard.
“He felt like people tried to take not only his father’s life but also tried to take his father’s legacy,” said Young. “Dexter became very protective of his father’s legacy.”
Now, people are looking back on his legacy.
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His younger sister shared a tweet on Monday:
“Words cannot express the heartbreak I feel from losing another sibling.”
His brother called the death “devastating.”
Ralph David Abernathy III and Dexter were roommates together.
His foundation said in a statement that “Dexter King was ahead of his time. A creator and innovator. He will be missed.”
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