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Dexter Scott King — the youngest son of Martin Luther King Jr. — has died after a battle with cancer.
The King Center announced the sad news Monday — noting Dexter succumbed to prostate cancer … which he seems to have been dealing with privately behind the scenes. The org added his wife, Leah Weber King, was with him during his death … and she said, “He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu.”
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It’s unclear when Dexter was diagnosed — but he is now the second child of MLK to have passed since their father was assassinated in 1968.
Yolanda King was the first of the children to die — she passed in ’07 as a result of complications from ovarian cancer, among other ailments — and now … Dexter has passed on too. The remaining living kids are Martin Luther King III (the eldest) and Bernice King (the youngest out of all of them).
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Dexter continued his father’s legacy in fighting for civil rights into the 21st century — but he was notable for confronting James Earl Ray — the man convicted and imprisoned for actually assassinating Dr. King — and asking him point blank if he did it … only to receive a “no.”
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At the time, DSK said he actually believed James … and floated conspiracy theories about who really orchestrated his father’s murder, suggesting the federal government was involved.
Dexter also portrayed his dad in a 2002 TV movie, ‘The Rosa Parks Story’ — it goes without saying, his resemblance to Dr. King was something that was always talked about.
He was only 62.
RIP