With her familys legacy and prominence helping to elevate her voice to the national stage, she said she has always felt like she could carry her own message. Yolandas father has said that the fourth-grader was passionate about gun reform long before the Parkland shooting. Professionaly She is a Public Speaker. Republican Donor Launches Gun Control Advocacy Group During the March For Our Lives, Underwater Noise Pollution Is Disrupting Ocean LifeBut We Can Fix It. All four of MLK's children were quite young when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968. How do we clothe people? Spartanburg community honors its past, looks to future, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Furthermore, she is part of several high profile ceremonies and legacies. Many might have first noticed the similarities between her and her grandfather, the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., when she took the stage at the 2018 March For Our Lives student-led demonstration in Washington, D.C., to talk about gun control. So, this is my way of giving back and giving that support and mentorship for the people.". 2023 Getty Images. James Earl Ray confessed to shooting King and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Reach her via email at rbonds@gannett.com. Martin Luther King Jr's granddaughter Yolanda Renee King(L) speaks next to student Jaclyn Corin during the March for Our Lives Rally in Washington, DC on March 24, 2018. Yolanda Renee King, granddaughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., speaks at the National Action Network's March On for Voting Rights event in Washington on Aug. 28, 2021. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, 'I Have a Dream That Enough is Enough.' She was just 12 years old when her father was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Additionally, Martin described as a shy man by his friends. Don't give up. "We're battling the same issues they did," King said. Advocates of these two bills argue it will allow more people of color to participate in elections, while also implementing regulations to prevent election day challenges, like waiting several hours in a line to cast votes. A great generation. Yolanda wore an orange gun-violence ribbon pinned to her jacket as she inspired those in attendance. She acknowledged that her grandparents have a legacy of. And that's a conscious choice we have to make every day. She has also studied their writings, listened to their speeches on tape and watched videos that show them in action. She recalled that recordings of her father were played over speakers at his funeral. At first glance, Yolanda Renee King is your average teenage girl. I was really nervous. Yolanda is the eldest granddaughter of MLK Jr. She is the only child of Martin Luther King III and Andrea Waters King. "What I hope to do is to make this world much better than it was when I first came. "You showing up just shows how passionate you are about the issue, which allegedly puts pressure on politicians to pass legislation so that we can actually see change," King said. My family and I have been working on getting two major bills passed that can make it easier for people to vote, because one of the fundamental rights is the right to vote. One of the most encouraging things Ive learned about Yolanda is that she is participating in the present social justice movement on her own and is not being pressured by her family. Following favorite celebrities physic and style is a great hobby for many of us. Martin Luther King Jr., took the stage in front of an at times enthusiastic, at times emotional crowd to deliver the keynote speech at Clemson University's 41st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Keynote Program in the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts on January 17. Yolanda Renee King singing a song in commemoration to her Grandfather's legacy. Only 14-years-old, Yolonda Renee King speaks with conviction and clarity. Only light can do that. She explains how she and a handful of other shooting survivors would meet in Cameron Kaskys living room to discuss what to do. Her birthday is on 25-May-08. In January 1999 she told PEOPLE: "I just ran out of the room and screamed, 'I don't want to hear it.' Thats why he and my grandmother Coretta Scott King led the Selma to Montgomery March for Voting Rights in 1965.. "I would say it was around fourth grade when I really understood the significance of my grandparents' work. The bill is the third that Democrats have attempted to pass to provide a federal intervention against the restrictive voting measures that have passed in GOP-led states across the country. While Yolanda said that her father found acting "flighty," her mother Coretta signed her up for lessons at the Actors and Writers Workshop in Atlanta, which was the only integrated theater company in the city at the time. King, sole grandchild of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King was the keynote speaker Tuesday night in front of a large crowd at Clemson University's 41st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Keynote Program. Learning civil rights history in a more in-depth manner like this isnt always comfortable, but it is inspiring to see that Yolanda is speaking up about it. More from Jessica Johnson: Despite bomb threats against HBCUs, I have hope for the next generation. Martin suggested that the former member of the San Francisco 49ers, who had allegedly been "blackballed" for his protest, could return to the NFL "overnight" if football fans joined together and demanded it. King was accompanied by her mother, Arndrea Waters King, the wife of Martin Luther King III, who sat in the audience as her daughter delivered a 30-minute speech with confidence, humor and a concise tone that belied her years. I am a journalist by profession. student-led March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. Yolanda Denise King (November 17, 1955 - May 15, 2007) was an African-American activist, actress and first-born child of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King who pursued artistic and entertainment endeavors and public speaking. Getty My response simply is that maturity doesnt automatically begin at any particular age. 1:43. 2:37. Your comments are valuable to us. Yolanda attended Smith College and later received a master's degree at New York University in 1979. My niece, Yolanda Renee King, truly represented the King family.. "Thoughts and prayers are helpful only after you take action," King said. Many people wont take a 14-year-old seriously when it comes to addressing gun violence, but I know it is time for change, and it is my duty as an American to use the platform given to me by my grandparents sacrifices to uplift the voices of my peers.. Lets discuss about her favourite stuffs like color, food, sports, places and personalities as well. Cart. There are even times my parents have told me about, that I dont even remember for instance, every day, we would drive to school and we would see homeless people, she said, And when I was 3 or 4, I was already talking about them, and asking, What are we going to do to help?. As we celebrate past extraordinary achievements of African Americans during Black History Month, we are also seeing history in the making with young activists like Yolanda Renee King, the granddaughter of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most phenomenal leaders of the 20thcentury. For example, most of them only knew the basic outline of Dr. Kings I Have a Dream speech, mainly one of the most famous parts of him saying that he had a dream that his four children would one day be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. She was only 5 years old when the civil rights leader was assassinated. Her close friend, Joaquin Oliver, was killed in the attack. Hed be very excited about the Me Too movement. Martin Luther King III, the son of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., and his daughter Yolanda Renee attend a Martin Luther King Day ceremony under the statue of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. at the MLK Memorial on January 20, 2013 in Washington. In a Facebook post, Bernice King wrote that she was a very proud Aunt after Yolandas speech. She stayed in the Georgia state with her mother Andrea Waters and father Martin Luther King III. I'm sure he'd be proud of his granddaughter [Yolanda]. Here I am also doing the same. "At some point, this nation we've got to move forward. I have studied their writings. But at the end of the day, this is our march and we have put so much time and energy into making it come to life., According to The Hill, Yolandas mother has admitted that it was a difficult decision to let her daughter step into the spotlight. Martin Luther King Jr., took the stage in front of an at times enthusiastic, at times emotional crowd to deliver the keynote speech at Clemson Universitys 41st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Keynote Program in the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts on January 17. Furthermore, he gave tribute to the Michael Jackson memorial on July 7, 2009. Don't give out.". However, most of my students did not know that King called out the unspeakable horrors of police brutality and stated that America had defaulted on [its] promissory note of unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as far as her citizens of color are concerned.. MLK's Niece Dr. Alveda King: Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. Was A Republican. Lightboxes. In June 2020, Bernice told Today that she related to George Floyd's young daughter, who was 6 years old when her father was killed. You and your decisions determine the future of the world.. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. All rights reserved. Martin recalled that he never felt afraid or worried for his safety when he was out with his dad, no matter where they visited, because of the faith he had in his father's ability to protect him. But I am also lucky enough to have parents who have told me 'you dont have to be like your grandfather, you dont have to be like your grandmother,' Yolanda said. Although she was able to rally the masses last month, Yolanda admits she had jitters stepping onto the stage in DC. In an interview with NBC in January, Yolanda said that she and her family had been backing the passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. She is approximately 56 kg in weight. Executive DirectorLisa Hintelmann comes from Maplewood, New Jersy, USA. I know some young people who are better informed and more mature than older voters.. Reparations . She currently serves as a board member for the Ethiopian aid organization, HEAL. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Her eyes color is Brown and hair is Black. "Things get said on both sides in the heat of emotion," Martin said. Maya Eaglin is a digital reporter for NBC News' "StayTuned" on Snapchat. Here is the details about her educational qualification. Black residents suffered most. On the other hand, she named after her loving aunt Yolanda King. "As I stand here in this moment and look at my journey, I have to make an appeal to my brothers and sisters, because I realized that the only way to get constructive change is through nonviolent means," she wrote. She is the only grandchild of Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King Jr. Black residents suffered most. She and King III tied the knot shortly after Coretta Scott King passed awaay. Her childhood experience was greatly influenced by her father's highly public activism. Yolanda was born and raised in the state of Georgia to parents, Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters. President Joe Biden addressed the urgency to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act during a speech in Georgia on Tuesday. For her part in carrying forth, King said she feels called to campaign for social justice initiatives that fight homelessness, pollution, and most poignantly, gun violence, having lost not just her grandfather to it but also her great-grandmother, Alberta Williams King, who was shot and killed by a domestic terrorist as she sat at the organ of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta six years after her son was assassinated. Here's what you should know about her. The two brothers were in charge of their father's estate and hoped to sell those items, among others, to a private buyer. We have to do all these lockdown drills because its unfortunate that people have guns. 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