- I want to introduce you
to a very special 12-year-old activist,
named Yolanda Renee King.
She also happens to be the only grandchild
of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
She not only shares his DNA,
but she also has a deep passion to keep his legacy alive.
Yolanda is joining us from her home in Atlanta.
What's up, Yolanda?
- Hi! (audience applauding)
- Oh my gosh, you have the best smile ever.
Let's lead with that.
That is such a warm and welcoming, beautiful smile.
And that's quite a portrait, like, behind you.
Can you tell me about that portrait?
- Yes, so, it's a three generation.
So, at the top, there's my great-grandfather,
and then in the middle, there's my dad,
and when this is taken,
I would say he was about seven or eight,
and then under him, you see my grandfather.
And so it was a picture of the three generations,
so, it's really special to have this in our home, you know,
and it's really powerful.
- I can only imagine, yeah.
Being a part of a family and having that,
in any family, having a photo like that is so momentous,
and such a cool thing for any family, but especially yours.
But your grandfather's adult life is chronicled everywhere.
What was he like at your age?
Like, do you know, can you tell us?
- Well, going into the (indistinct)
most people really only think of him during his early adult,
or during his adult years.
And I think that's why when he was, you know,
when he was a kid, he can also be pretty naughty at times.
(laughing)
My great-grandmother, my grandfather's mom, actually,
she wanted her kids to learn an instrument,
and I guess they had to do piano,
and they didn't like taking piano,
and they didn't like the teacher too much.
So, one day, him and his younger brother,
teamed up to make sure that they didn't have to do piano,
and basically, they took off the screw of the piano seat,
and when the piano teacher was showing them a demonstration,
he fell out of the seat.
(chuckling)
- Well, it is interesting,
because we do see him as an adult.
Most of us obviously only know him as that.
But as, a family member, it's kind of fun, you know,
to know that all these people we hold up on pedestals,
they're real people that had real childhoods that, you know,
had had real things and fun things happen to them as well,
and it was a full life.
Do you hope to follow in your grandfather's footsteps?
Is that a dream of yours?
- So, yes and no, in a way, if that makes sense.
So, I always like to tell people,
that I want to finish what he couldn't finish,
and I want to follow in his footsteps, but I also, you know,
want to make my own footsteps, if that makes sense.
- I think it makes perfect sense,
and I think, what a powerful young lady you are, already.
And so I'm really excited that you're speaking up,
and picking up, you know,
where family members may have left off,
but also carving out your own path.
Last August, Yolanda spoke at the Commitment March
in Washington, DC.
Check this out. (whooshing)
- Less than a year before he was assassinated,
my grandfather predicted this very moment.
He said that we were moving into a new phase
of the struggle.
The first phase was the civil rights,
and the new phase is gender and equality!
We must not forget the freedom rides,
the Birmingham movement, and Selma.
Papa King, we won't!
(audience cheering)
(audience applauding) - Wow. Wow!
I mean, (sputtering)
it's so important what you're saying,
but it's even more important to note,
you are a young woman up there,
and knowing those words,
and living those words, and having that message.
And like you said,
using the platform that you've been given,
it is a beautiful and majestic thing,
to watch you speak like that, Yolanda.
How are you honoring your grandfather today?
- Well, you know, we always see this day,
most people see this day as a extra-long weekend,
but we see this day as a day of service.
So, you know, most people don't know this,
or not attending events, we may volunteer.
And I think you can never go wrong with service.
- Yeah. No, I agree with you.
It was always told to me to have a servant's heart,
no matter your position, but always keep a servant's heart,
so, I love that, and just keeping service of others.
It's a beautiful thing.
Thank you so much, Yolanda, for taking the time with us,
to talk to us today.
- Thank you for having me, and thank you.
(audience applauding) - Absolutely, girl.