[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 87 (Friday, May 25, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF YOLANDA KING

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 24, 2007

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my 
sadness over the untimely passing of Yolanda Denise King, eldest 
daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Coretta Scott King. 
Yolanda King, despite losing her father at the age of 12, strived to 
carry on her father's legacy of equality and justice for all. Despite 
her family name, Yolanda King used her own talents to affect social and 
personal change through her lectures and the arts.
  Yolanda King was born on November 17, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, 
where her father was then preaching. She was born just 2 weeks before 
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus there, leading to the 
Montgomery bus boycott spearheaded by her father. She was just 10 weeks 
old when the King family home was bombed on January 30, 1956, as her 
father attended a boycott rally, but she was unharmed by the explosion. 
She was 7 when her father mentioned her and her siblings in his 1963 
speech at the March on Washington and she was 12 when her father was 
assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.
  After receiving a B.A. degree with honors in Theatre and African-
American Studies from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, Ms. 
King moved to New York to earn her masters degree in theatre at New 
York University. She honed her teaching skills while working with young 
people at the King Center for Non-Violent Social Change in Atlanta, 
Georgia. Many of Ms. King's stage, television and film credits reflect 
her commitment to social change and include portrayals of Rosa Parks in 
the NBC-TV movie ``King'' (1978), Dr. Betty Shabazz in the film ``Death 
of a Prophet'' (1981), and Medgar Ever's daughter, Reena, in ``Ghosts 
of Mississippi'' (1996). Her most recent theatrical production was 
``Achieving the Dream'' in which she portrayed several characters in 
the movement for civil and human rights, and was featured during the 
1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
  In addition to her rich acting career, Yolanda King also carried on 
her parents' legacy through her commitment to raise awareness and 
enhance understanding about the importance of diversity. Ms. King 
addressed Fortune 500 companies and the United Nations as well as 
religious, civic and educational groups in the United States, Europe, 
and Africa. She was founder and CEO of Higher Ground Productions, a 
California-based organization dedicated to social change and world 
peace by advocating diversity and unity. She also promoted awareness 
through her writing. She was the co-author of the book, Open My Eyes, 
Open My Soul, as well as Embracing Your Power in 30 Days, a step by 
step, daily tool for personal growth based on her very personal 
experiences.
  Yolanda King was honored with numerous presentations, awards and 
citations by organizations around the country and was named one of the 
Outstanding Young Women of America. She was a member of the Board of 
Directors of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social 
Change, Inc. (the official national memorial to Dr. King) and was 
founding Director of the King Center's Cultural Affairs Program. She 
served on the Partnership Council of Habitat for Humanity, was a member 
of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, was a sponsor of the 
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and held a lifetime 
membership in the NAACP. She was the recipient of two honorary 
doctorial degrees.
  And so today I urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to 
Yolanda King's outstanding career and life achievements. Yolanda King 
dedicated her life to promote unity and nonviolence across the country 
and the world. She was left a strong and important legacy set by Dr. 
Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King, but ultimately utilized her 
own abilities and talent to inspire people from all walks of life to 
reach higher ground, to motivate people to move forward, and to empower 
people to make a difference.

                          ____________________