Who is Martin Luther King III? MLK's eldest son says his father would be 'disappointed in our nation'
On Martin Luther King Jr Day 2021, Martin Luther King III, the son of the legendary civil rights advocate, stated that while his father is ‘revered’ by many, there are still ‘two-thirds of Americans disapproving of him.’ In a poignant speech on January 18, commemorating his father, King III stated that if his father were alive, he would be ‘greatly disappointed’ by the present state of the nation, with issues of poverty and income inequality plaguing the country.
He also added that it would disappoint his late father to see “how we have chosen to conduct ourselves at this particular moment, but most particularly probably disappointed in the commander-in-chief,” reported CNN.
Who is Martin Luther King III?
Luther King III, 63, is the eldest son of Martin Luther King Jr and his wife Coretta Scott King. He is a noted human rights advocate and was also appointed the 4th President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Upon his birth, MLK Jr was insistent on naming his son with the same name carried by him and his father. However, his wife has reservations about the same since she believed it might create ‘burdens’ for the child while growing up.
King III grew up with his three siblings: Yolanda Denise King, Dexter Scott King, and Rev. Bernice Albertine King in Vine City, Atlanta, Georgia. From an early age, he staunchly abided by the ideals and principles of his father. For instance, his way of handling racial bullying at school from a White boy was to compliment on his drawing skills, and the harassment ceased after that.
At 10, King III had to face the brutal news of his father’s assassination. After graduating from school, he attended Morehouse College, where his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were alumni. He pursued a Bachelor’s degree in political science. While participating in an anti-Apartheid protest in Washington DC in June 1985, King III, along with his mother and sister were arrested. He was arrested once again in January 1986 at a protesting site.
After King III won the election for Fulton County Commissioner for the Democratic party, he became the first in his father’s family to be directly associated with politics. He is a vocal advocate against the death penalty and even worked to grant a reprieve to death row prisoners like Rodney Reed and Nathaniel Woods.
In 2008, King III gave a speech for Barack Obama, who was a Presidential Nominee back then, highlighting that his father would be “proud of Barack Obama, proud of the party that nominated him, and proud of the America that will elect him.”
He believes in Joe Biden
During President Trump’s first impeachment trial in February 2020, his legal counsel quoted Dr Martin Luther King Jr to defend the president. In response, Martin Luther King III issued a statement that his father’s name that resonates with justice and fairness, should not be besmirched with mockery, hypocrisy and rank opportunism to serve Trump’s self-interest.
In his speech on Monday, he expressed his concerns about the present President’s controversial acts. “My father always believed in the people of our nation. Certainly, he would be greatly disappointed in how we have chosen to conduct ourselves at this particular moment, but most particularly probably disappointed in the commander in chief, because the commander in chief is supposed to bring people together and not to bring people together to actually intercept your government,” he said, hinting at Trump’s involvement in inciting the US Capitol riots.
He went on to add that he believes in President-elect Joe Biden and hopes his administration to address issues like the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, and police brutality. He also advocated that the Biden government should work towards bringing forth a universal basic income to dispel poverty.