Conyers Statement on the Passing of Yolanda King

WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary and Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus, made the following statement on the death of Yolanda King:

“I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing last night of one of our nation’s great civil rights leaders. Carrying forward the legacy of her parents, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Yolanda Denise King was a tireless advocate for social and economic justice. A talented performer, Ms. King used her theatrical craft to bring the civil rights struggle to life before numerous audiences.

At her mother’s funeral last year, Yolanda King exhorted us to remember that America has not yet achieved peace and racial equality. She urged each of us to question our own prejudices and to become a personal force for peace and love.

I want to extend my deepest condolences to Yolanda King’s family, and particularly to her siblings. Her sister, Reverend Bernice A. King, and brothers Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King, continue to carry on their parents’ legacy of struggle for social change. On behalf of countless others who were touched by Yolanda King, I offer my gratitude for a life dedicated to justice.”