A Look Back at Martin Luther King Jr.'s Family Photos on What Would Have Been His 96th Birthday

The revered Civil Rights leader was assassinated on April 4. 1968 at just 39 years old

Jan 15, 2025 - 09:47
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A Look Back at Martin Luther King Jr.'s Family Photos on What Would Have Been His 96th Birthday

The revered Civil Rights leader was assassinated on April 4. 1968 at just 39 years old

Bettmann Archive/Getty Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his family

Bettmann Archive/Getty Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his family

To many of us, Martin Luther King Jr. was a mega-force for the Civil Rights movement — a prolific speaker whose talent for oration and passion for equal rights for all resonates to this day

At home, however, the late prolific leader was simply known as dad. A doting father, Dr. King shared four children with his wife Coretta Scott: daughters Yolanda Denise, 69, and Bernice Albertine, 61, as well as sons Martin Luther III, 67 and Dexter Scott, 63.

As we observe what would have been his 96th birthday, look back at some of Martin Luther King Jr.'s pictures with his family.

Happy Days

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty The Kings with their daughter Yolanda
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty The Kings with their daughter Yolanda

Dr. King and his wife Coretta Scott King are snapped having a quiet moment with their firstborn Yolanda as they relax in their home in 1956.

On the Move

Tom Gallagher/NY Daily News via Getty Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and family

Tom Gallagher/NY Daily News via Getty Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and family

The young family poses in front of their plane as they prepare to fly to Alabama from Idlewild Airport in Queens, New York.

Family Days

Tom Gallagher/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., his wife, Coretta and their two children

Tom Gallagher/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., his wife, Coretta and their two children

Moments before, King was pictured adoringly looking at his daughter Yolanda as Martin III sat comfortably in Coretta's arms.

Coming Together

TPLP/Getty  Martin Luther King Jr. with his family

TPLP/Getty  Martin Luther King Jr. with his family

Dr. King and his wife Coretta were pictured with three of their kids — Yolanda, Martin III and Dexter — at their home in Atlanta.

Learning Lessons

Donald Uhrbrock/Getty  Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta with their children

Donald Uhrbrock/Getty  Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta with their children

The Kings play piano with their kids Yolanda and Martin III in this shot from 1960.

Sign of the Times

Bettmann Archive/Getty Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holds Martin Luther King III

Bettmann Archive/Getty Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holds Martin Luther King III

The Civil Rights leader is pictured holding two-year-old Martin III while looking at a burnt cross in front of his home in Atlanta, Georgia.

Lighter Moments

Bettmann Archive/Getty Dr. King and his family

Bettmann Archive/Getty Dr. King and his family

Dr. King is greeted lovingly by his family upon his release from Georgia State prison after incarceration for leading boycotts in this pic from 1960

Happy Reunion

Donald Uhrbrock/Getty The King Family

Donald Uhrbrock/Getty The King Family

The family keeps close as they celebrate their reunion.

Looking Up to Dad

AP Photo/Jack Thornell Yolanda King with her dad Martin Luther King Jr.

AP Photo/Jack Thornell Yolanda King with her dad Martin Luther King Jr.

Young Yolanda King watches on from the pew as her father makes a point during a speech at a political rally in Montgomery, Alabama in 1966.

Polished Up

AP Photo Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King sit with three of their children

AP Photo Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King sit with three of their children

Dr, King ensures his namesake's tie is nice and straight as the family prepares for a photoshoot.