How Martin Luther King III came out of his iconic father’s shadow

In 2022, Martin Luther King III killed the son of the legendary Civil Rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.Talked to people about what it was like to spend the first ten years of his life in the same house as the man who inspired so many people of all races around the world.

“He was like our little friend, like our playmate,” reminded Martin III, who was the second by Martin Jr. And his wife Coretta Scott KingFour children. “I remember once, he came up the stairs when we looked out the window to see him. It was fantastic to see the transformation. When he came up the stairs he seemed to pull 100 kg of iron weights on his legs.”

“He was exhausted,” King III continued. “But as soon as he saw us, an excitement came over him, because we were so happy to see him: ‘Dad’s home! Dad’s home!’ When he came to the top of the stairs and the door was open, a renewed energy came over him.

King III explores his father’s inheritance and his own (which is an ongoing work) in the new book What is my inheritance?: Realize a new dream of connection, love and fulfillment (Flash-point). It is a collaboration with his wife, Arndrea Waters King, and their colleagues with human rights Mark and Craig Kielburger.

In the excerpt below, King III, 67, discusses to live in the shadow of his father’s huge legend and how he managed to push himself under the importance of it and honor his father’s path while forging one of his own.

On August 28, 1963, in front of a crowd of nearly 250,000 people spread across the National Mall in Washington, delivered my father, the Baptist Preacher and Civil Law the Pastor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A dream “speech from the steps in Lincoln Memorial. That speech is now standing out as one of the most unforgettable moments of the twentieth century and celebrated speech.

After settling the brutal facts about racism in America, my father offered a dream of an America where people of all races and beliefs live together in harmony and mutual respect, free from economic and employment equations. Among the most quoted lines in the speech is “I have a dream that my four small children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

I was five at that time, too young to participate. Instead, I stayed at home in Atlanta. But I have since listened to his dream many times over the years. Each time it gives tears in my eyes. His message of hope is something that I have continued to share throughout my life. My father’s dream is not just a speech he held or an idyllic picture of what might be. His dream is something we all have to choose every day to work towards. What my father asked for all these years ago was to create a world where each person can realize their dreams. It’s something I also want for each of us. My father’s dream remains unfulfilled, but it is still very alive.

After leading the march against Washington, he continued to win the Nobel Peace Prize, the youngest person awarded the honor at that time. Then when I was ten years old, in 1968, my father was murdered. He was frozen in time at the height of his influence as an important, passionate leader for civil rights that has inspired millions of people to take non -violent measures for peace and social justice.

My dad will always be bigger than life. And for me, the struggle of my life has been first and foremost grew up without him. As a boy, I longed to shoot hoops, wrestle and cycle with my dad, which we used to do before he was killed. As one, I wish he had seen me graduate from college, marry the love of my life, the incredible Arnders Waters King and raise a hard daughter – his bare grandchild – Yolanda Renee King, with her oratory gifts that flow through her veins and.

My mother, the incomparable Coretta Scott King, who died in 2006, would sometimes tell me, “Your father would be so proud of you.” This would get tears in my eyes. I would almost blend into the moment and wanted to hear these words from his mouth and feel the heat in his approval.

As you can imagine, I have thought more about inheritance than most. My father handed over a huge legacy to me, and so did my mother – to fight hatred, racism, violence and poverty as he tried to build the beloved society with room for all of us. An important part of my life has promoted their work. What a great honor is to continue this mission, in the hope that my efforts – on the wings of their heritage – will help create a better world.

Nevertheless, I have struggled with my parent’s inheritance and my role in them. I have spent my life in the shadow of my father’s performance, and I have often struggled to find out how I come from my father’s huge shadow to define my own heritage. Many times I have asked myself about the purpose of my life will be defined by my father or by me.

While there were times in my life when I lived in the shadow of my father’s legacy, the truth is that the inheritance of my father’s name and inheritance has been a privilege and a deep honor. So in response to the question “Have I done enough?” The answer can only be “there is so much more to do.”

My Legacy?: Realize a new dream of connection, love and fulfillmentPublished by Flashpoint, available wherever books are sold.