Martin Luther King Jr Family Tree: The Story Behind The Civil Rights Movement's Leader

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., born 15 January 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, was the leader of the American civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination 4 April 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. Nobel Peace Prize 1964 (youngest male laureate at the time); Presidential Medal of Freedom (posthumous, 1977); Congressional Gold Medal (2004).

The Family's Roots: An Atlanta Baptist Church Family

The King family is one of the most-prominent African-American religious families in modern history. Multiple generations of Baptist pastors in Atlanta, Georgia.

His Parents

Father: Reverend Martin Luther King Sr. (1899–1984) — pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta from 1931 to 1975; civil rights leader in his own right.

Mother: Alberta Williams King (1903–1974) — Spelman College graduate; church organist at Ebenezer; murdered on 30 June 1974 while playing the organ at the church.

His Siblings

Christine King Farris (1927–2023) — elder sister; educator at Spelman College for 60+ years; lived to age 95.

Alfred Daniel "A.D." Williams King (1930–1969) — younger brother; Baptist pastor; civil rights activist; drowned in a swimming pool July 1969, a year after Martin's assassination.

His Wife: Coretta Scott King

Coretta Scott King (1927–2006) — civil rights leader, author, public speaker; first African-American to lie in honour in the Georgia State Capitol Rotunda. Married Martin in June 1953. After his death, founded the King Center in Atlanta.

Their Children

Yolanda Denise King (1955–2007) — eldest daughter; actress, civil rights activist; died at age 51.

Martin Luther King III, born October 1957 — son; civil rights advocate; former president of the SCLC.

Dexter Scott King (1961–2024) — son; chairman of the King Center; died at age 62.

Bernice King, born March 1963 — daughter; minister; current CEO of the King Center.

The King Family Tree at a Glance

Family Origins: African-American Atlanta Baptist family.

Father: Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. (1899–1984) — Ebenezer Baptist pastor.

Mother: Alberta Williams King (1903–1974) — murdered in church June 1974.

Siblings: Christine King Farris (1927–2023) — lived to 95; A.D. King (1930–1969) — drowned at 38.

Wife: Coretta Scott King (1927–2006; m. June 1953).

Children: Yolanda (1955–2007); Martin Luther King III (b. October 1957); Dexter (1961–2024); Bernice (b. March 1963) — CEO of the King Center.

Martin Luther King Jr.:

  • Born 15 January 1929, Atlanta
  • Morehouse College (BA Sociology 1948); Crozer Theological Seminary (BD 1951); Boston University (PhD Systematic Theology 1955)
  • Married Coretta Scott, June 1953
  • Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, AL — pastor from 1954
  • Montgomery Bus Boycott: December 1955 – December 1956 (sparked by Rosa Parks)
  • Co-founder, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC): 1957
  • Birmingham Campaign: 1963 ("Letter from Birmingham Jail")
  • March on Washington: 28 August 1963 — "I Have a Dream"
  • Nobel Peace Prize: 1964 (age 35; youngest male recipient at the time)
  • Civil Rights Act 1964, Voting Rights Act 1965 — directly influenced
  • Selma to Montgomery marches: March 1965
  • Assassinated by James Earl Ray, Lorraine Motel, Memphis: 4 April 1968, age 39
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day: third Monday in January, federal holiday from 1986

What the King Family Story Teaches Us

A Baptist pastor father. A church organist mother — murdered at her organ in 1974. An elder sister who lived to 95. A younger brother who drowned a year after Martin's death. A wife who carried the work forward after his assassination. Four children, three of whom are now deceased, all of them having served the civil-rights cause.

For every family — large or small, famous or otherwise — the King story carries the same lesson. The family record sometimes carries multiple violent losses across one generation. Martin's assassination in 1968, A.D.'s drowning in 1969, Alberta's murder in 1974 — three losses in six years are on the King family record alongside the I Have a Dream speech and the Nobel Peace Prize. Write down what the family endured. Endurance is itself a family entry.

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