Ms. Yolanda King 1955-2007
May 16th, 2007 at 11:32am Manchild
Stunned! Stupefied! Speechless! I couldn’t believe it. Ms. Yolanda King died this morning at the tender age of 51. My heart is heavy right now. Words can’t express the pain I feel. Ms. Yolanda King, the eldest child of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, and her siblings, have endured so much during their emotionally tumultuous childhood.
As evidence by the contents of The King Center, the King family has paid such a heavy price while fighting for the civil and human rights that our generation is privy to because of the relentless leadership of Yolanda’s Daddy. Hate took the life of her hero, the first man she ever loved, away from this pearl of a girl at such a critical age and crucial stage of her personal development.
Reading the book, A Testament Of Hope: The Essential Writings And Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. will enlighten those of you who aren’t familiar with the extraordinary life of a great man who had a great woman standing by his side.
I challenge each member of our blended-extended family to honor Ms. Yolanda King and her heroic family’s legacy by choosing to do something on a daily basis to improve the quality of somebody else’s life. Are you willing to let the synergistic power of the link love we share as a community of bloggers do its part to conquer hate? I hope so.
As always, the choice to do something to give hope to the people you will meet on the streets where you live and work is yours alone to make. Something as simple as a smile, a hug, a compassionate act of kindness could make such a huge difference in the life of a person who has lost hope.
Ms. Yolanda King, may your precious soul rest in peace in God’s comforting presence always and forever. As a sign of respect, I tip my hat to you. My wife and I extend our condolences to the surviving members of your courageous family.
Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.
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Entry Filed under: Inspiration, Leadership, Missing You, Social Justice
6 Comments Add your own
1. JD | May 22nd, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Now that the eldest of Dr. King 3 little children, refered to In the” I have a Dream” speach has passed, the question is have we reached a time when a person is judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin? I think not.
2. Vince Marcus | May 23rd, 2007 at 2:37 pm
As usual, an outstanding statement from you. Who among us could fathom the pain that the King “children” have endured. None of them married and had children. Perhaps the lack of desire for “family continuity” was their show of disappointment in the progress of Black people. We must pay our respects & certainly respect our selfs!
3. Manchild | May 23rd, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Hello JD,
Thank you, for taking the time to comment. You’ve raised a relevant question that deserves a practical answer that will inspire personal growth on an individual basis.
Collectively, the obvious answer to your question is “no.” Now, let’s dig deeper than the obvious for the practical solution to this generational dilemma. The choice to judge another person’s value based upon their character, not skin colour, is an individual act of mutual respect that’s inspired by the love of God.
We, as individuals, can choose to live our lives in a way that will bring glory to God’s name and honor Dr. King’s dream one person and one day at a time. If all God’s children become personally accountable to our Creator and each other by doing our part during such a season as this, the “mature” love we share can inspire others to do the same. Imagine that!
Knowing that impossible is nothing but a word to God gives me hope during these trying times.
4. Manchild | May 23rd, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Hello Vince,
Thank you, for leaving such an insightful comment. I can’t begin to imagine the pain that the surviving members of Dr. Marting Luther King, Jr.’s family must be enduring right now.
Sometimes we forget the overwhelming magnitude of the unduly burdensome price Dr. King’s family continues to pay because this king of a man had a dream that challenges us all to do the same.
Tomorrow, I’ll be praying and paying my respect to the King family during the homecoming celebration of Yolanda King at Ebeneezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. I hope you will choose to do the same.
5. Anna | May 23rd, 2007 at 10:27 pm
“Something as simple as a smile, a hug, a compassionate act of kindness could make such a huge difference in the life of a person who has lost hope…”
You are so right, Manchild. And people need to remember that just because a gesture may seem somewhat insignificant to them in the scheme of things, it may not be so insignificant to someone else. Think of all the things that could have been accomplished in the world today but weren’t because people convinced themselves that whatever minor contribution they could make would be of no consequence or value to anyone, when in reality it could have made all the difference in the world.
A little love really can go a long way. I’ve seen it!
Take care;
Anna
6. Manchild | May 24th, 2007 at 5:20 am
Hello Anna,
It’s always a pleasure to hear from you. Thank you, for sharing your time with me today.
God’s love manifested itself in small ways and literally saved my life and gave me a new beginning when I needed it most. But by grace still go I.
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