Yolanda Renée King, the only grandchild of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, is using her voice this MLK Day to call attention to voting rights.
Earlier today, the 17-year-old spoke with ABC News and addressed concerns as the Supreme Court considers rolling back landmark voting rights legislation championed by Dr. King.
“I certainly feel concerned about the state in which we are going,” King began. “In terms of the status of the legacy now, I think that unfortunately, in order for the people to wake up, I think that we have to see certain aspects of the legacy being taken away and be under attack.”
While she said she is grateful to honor her grandfather with a holiday, King stressed the importance of continuing the work he started.
“I think it is important that we realize that a part of his legacy and a part of our responsibility is to continue carrying on what he left behind. And I believe that currently, the state of our world and seeing certain things being under attack will awaken certain people.”
Despite her concerns, King said she remains hopeful about younger generations.
“When you look at younger generations, there’s a lot of leadership,” she said. “Young people have always had the ability to challenge the status quo.”
She also pointed to her grandfather’s age as a reminder of how much can be accomplished early in life.
“We have to remember that any sort of major movement, any sort of transformation has been led by the youth,” she said. “A lot pf people forget that my grandfather was only 39 when he was assassinated. He was able to complete all he was able to get done with a very short amount of time. He began the Montgomery bus boycott when he was in his twenties.”
As for people who think we no longer need the Voting Rights Act, King said, “I think it’s important in my book, there’s a line that says reading is believing. And so I think that people who say that are not possibly as well-read. And so ensuring that you understand the reasons for why we have put in place this Voting Rights Act to understand that, look at the legislation and look how they’re trying to take away the right for us to vote.”
In 2023, Yolanda added author to her growing list of roles with the release of her illustrated children’s book, We Dream a World: Carrying the Light from My Grandparents. In the book, she reflects on the lessons passed down by her grandparents while emphasizing the importance of creating her own path.
