In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as we take the time to look back on the life of Dr. King, we also want to honor those who have helped uplift his legacy and the legacy of multiple civil rights leaders in the United States: their children. From the King family to the Jackson family, here is what the children of our vital civil rights leaders are doing today.

Yolanda Denise King

Yolanda Denise King, the eldest child of her parents, was an actress who helped cement Black history in film before her passing in 2007 at the age of 51, according to TIME magazine. On camera, she portrayed important figures in Black history, such as Rosa Parks in the miniseries “King” and Malcolm X’s widow in “Death of a Prophet.” She also owned a production company named Higher Ground, which sought to “educate, empower and entertain,” per TIME magazine.

Martin Luther King III

Per his Instagram bio, Martin Luther King III is a global human rights activist. He is the co-founder of the nonprofit community action group Drum Major Institute and the nonprofit organization Realizing the Dream. He is also co-host of the “My Legacy” podcast and co-author of the book of the same title, which inspires others to consider how their daily actions can help them create their own legacies. On his social media, King often shares Black history moments and inspiring messages.

Dexter Scott King

Dexter Scott King was appointed CEO of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change in 1993, just four years after he had stepped down from his position as the head of the center’s operations in 1989, according to PEOPLE. He told the magazine that he had struggled to reach the position of CEO as he had been criticized for the way he had run the center before. Along with his brother Martin Luther King III, he was also in charge of his father’s estate, per PEOPLE.

King passed in January 2024 from prostate cancer.

Dr Bernice Albertine King

According to her website, Dr. Bernice Albertine King is a peace advocate, strategist and global thought leader. She is also the CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. On her social media, King continues to honor her father’s legacy and uplift those without a platform. Recently, she has shared posts spreading awareness about ICE raids and the families who have been affected by them.

Recently, King did an exclusive interview with The Root’s owner, Ashley Allison, to call on the next generation of Black leaders to continue the work her father started.

Bakari Sellers

The children of Dr. Cleveland Sellers and Gwendolyn Sellers are following the example their father set for them. Bakari Sellers is a civil rights activist, political commentator for CNN and an attorney for Strom Law Firm. He was included in the Forbes 2025 America’s Best-In-State Lawyers list. He has published three books: the 2020 memoir “My Vanishing Country,” the 2022 children’s book “Who Are Your People,” and the 2024 political book “The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn’t and How We All Can Move Forward Now.”

Cleveland Sellers III

Brother of Bakari, Cleveland Sellers III doesn’t lead a very public life, but according to LinkedIn, he works as the general manager of the Americas market for Foundever, a customer experience technology company. He is also a board member of the nonprofit agency Urban League of Central Carolinas, which works to empower the community to achieve financial stability and social justice, according to the website. The organization offers youth programs, initiatives to empower fathers, alternatives to violence, programs that help formerly incarcerated Black men re-enter society, and a workforce development program.

Dr. Nosizwe Sellers

Sister of Bakari and Cleveland III, Dr. Nosizwe Sellers works for the VA Southeast Network (VISN 7), a healthcare service for veterans across Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, she is the chief consultant for Primary Care, a central resource and advocate for primary care for eight VA medical facilities.

In March 2025, Sellers was recognized for her work by being awarded the Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) status from the American College of Healthcare Executives, per the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Jonathan Jackson

Son of Rev. Jesse Jackson and Jacqueline Jackson, Congressman Jonathan Jackson is an activist currently serving his second term as the U.S. representative for Illinois’ 1st Congressional District. According to his website, Jackson is also a spokesperson for the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, a nonprofit civil rights organization founded by his father and an advocate for public education.

Santita Jackson

Jonathan’s sister Santita Jackson is both an entertainer and a political commentator. She has toured with the likes of Roberta Flack and performed the national anthem for President Bill Clinton’s second inauguration. In 1992, she was also Michelle Obama’s maid of honor at her wedding to Barack Obama, according to the Lookingglass Theatre Company. Currently, she hosts her own radio show, “The Santita Jackson Show,” which can be watched on YouTube.

Jesse Jackson Jr.

Former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. served as a representative for Illinois between 1995 and 2012 before resigning due to health issues, according to the BBC. Since then, he has helped support his father, Rev. Jesse Jackson, as his part-time caregiver after the elder Jackson was hospitalized for progressive supranuclear palsy in November 2025 and released just a week later. 

Speaking with USA TODAY, Jackson said, “It’s an honor and a blessing to help care for my father,” but also added that it has been “mentally, emotionally and financially” taxing for the Jackson family. In October 2025, Jackson announced his bid for election to Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District for the 2026 cycle.

Yusef Jackson

Rev. Jesse Jackson’s son Yusef Jackson has a decorated belt of impressive career achievements. He is a director on the board of Soho House & Co Inc and is a private investor, attorney, entrepreneur and corporate advisor, according to the Soho House & Co site. He also serves on the board of Uniting Voices Chicago and works as the chief operating officer of his father’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition, according to Jackson’s LinkedIn.

Jacqueline Jackson

Preferring to stay out of the public eye, Rev. Jesse Jackson’s daughter Jacqueline Jackson has little information about her available to the public. However, in an interview with USA TODAY, her brother Jesse Jackson Jr. said she had recently put her teaching career “on hold” to be a full-time caregiver for her father.

Andrea Young

Andrea Young, daughter of civil rights leader Andrew Young and equal education advocate Jean Young, is the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. According to the ACLU of Georgia, she has dedicated her career to defending the civil and human rights of all marginalized people. She has contributed to national and international policies, such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Act and the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, which sanctioned South Africa’s former apartheid regime.

Paula Young Shelton

Daughter of Andrew Young, Paula Young Shelton is using her platform as an author to write award-winning children’s books about Black history. Her works include the 2011 Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices winner “Child of the Civil Rights Movement” and “Just Like Jesse Owens,” a picture book she wrote with her father. She is a first-grade teacher in Washington, D.C., according to Penguin Random House.

Andrew “Bo” Young

Andrew “Bo” Young III is an entrepreneur and a board member of Greenwood, a mobile banking platform for Black and Latino people. The platform was inspired by Tulsa’s early 20th-century Greenwood District, also known as “Black Wall Street,” and aims to help Black and Latino communities flourish financially, according to the Greenwood site.

Lisa Young Alston

Before her passing in March 2025, Andrew and Jean Young’s daughter Lisa Young Alston devoted her time to caring for others by advocating for education, volunteering at local schools in Atlanta and serving as a member of the Atlanta chapter of Jack and Jill of America to nurture future African American leaders through volunteer and philanthropic work. She was also an active member of First Congregational Church, her local church, according to her public obituary.

Reena Denise Evers-Everette

Daughter of civil rights icons Medgar Evers and Myrlie Evers-Williams, Reena Denise Evers-Everette is the executive director of the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute. At the institute, she continues to uplift her father’s legacy and advocate for modern civil and human rights alongside her mother, Myrlie Evers-Williams, according to the Jackson, Mississippi, tourism site. Last year, she spoke with Mississippi Public Broadcasting to honor her father’s legacy for his 100th Birthday celebration.

James Van Dyke Evers

The youngest son of Medgar Evers and Myrlie Evers-Williams, James Van Dyke Evers, is a professional photographer who has captured significant moments in Black history, such as his mother’s invocation at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013, according to NPR.

Darrell Kenyatta Evers

Darrell Kenyatta Evers was an expressive painter whose art focused on the topics of prejudice and his father’s life and death. He was also an entrepreneur who created Intellikey Labs in Burbank, California, with his wife. The laboratory was one of the nation’s largest quality control DVD companies, according to The Washington Post. He passed away in 2001.

John Miles Lewis

John Miles Lewis, the only child of Rep. John Lewis and Lillian Miles Lewis, keeps a low profile. He has an artistic side and focused on a music career in the early 2000s, according to The Washington Post. However, he helps carry forward his family’s legacy through the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation. In 2022, when the foundation launched, Lewis noted that it was his father’s vision to support good work, inspire “good troublemaking,” and make the world a better place, according to the business publication, The Nonprofit Times.

Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz

Daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz is a college professor, award-winning author of the historical fiction novel “X” and an advocate for youth empowerment, according to her site. Last August, Shabazz gave a talk at the National Civil Rights Museum to honor her father’s legacy in celebration of his 100th birthday, according to The Voice.

Attallah Shabazz

Attallah Shabazz keeps a largely low profile outside of the public eye, but in a 1989 interview with Rolling Stone, she told the magazine her dad was “big fun,” and she has warm memories of her childhood with him.

“It was wholesome, it was quaint. As grand a nationalist as Malcolm X was, he was an even grander parent. He was big fun,” she said.

Today, she is featured in a program at the Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit, hosting Martin Luther King Jr. Day with an annual prayer breakfast, according to Detroit publication, The Detroit Regional Chamber.

Qubilah Shabazz

Qubilah Shabazz spent part of her early adult years in Paris as a translator before moving back to the United States with her young son, Malcolm Shabazz. Back in the U.S., Shabazz was arrested in 1995 for plotting to kill Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, whom she believed was responsible for her father’s assassination. According to PEOPLE, she accepted a plea deal that required her to undergo a two-year drug and psychiatric program in San Antonio. Now she keeps a low profile.

Gamilah Lumumba Shabazz

Gamilah Lumumba Shabazz was a theater arts major but has chosen to remain largely out of the spotlight. However, in 2018, Gamilah and her sisters launched the clothing line Malcolm X Legacy to help rebrand their father’s image, which they felt had been distorted, according to The New Yorker.

Malaak Shabazz

The youngest of the daughters, Malaak Shabazz, never met her father before he was assassinated. However, she was taught about his legacy by her mother, according to PEOPLE. Malaak prefers to keep a low profile, studied biochemistry in college and has only publicly spoken about her father’s legacy on rare occasions. In a 2015 interview with France 24, Malaak said she believed the world would be a better place if he were still alive.

Malikah Shabazz

Malikah Shabazz was the twin sister of Malaak Shabazz and, like her sister, learned about her father’s legacy through their mother. She studied architecture and founded a national mentorship program for students. Shabazz was found dead at age 56 in her Brooklyn apartment in 2021. She died of natural causes after “being ill for some time”, according to The Root.

Donzaleigh Abernathy

Donzaleigh Abernathy—daughter of the Rev. Ralph David Abernathy and Juanita Abernathy—is an actress and writer. She starred as Martha in the 2003 film “Gods and Generals,” played Lutricia Douglas in the 1997 biographical drama “Don King: Only in America,” and appeared as Dr. Stevens in the TV series “The Walking Dead.” She also wrote the historical book “Partners to History: Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph David Abernathy and the Civil Rights Movement.” On Wednesday (Jan. 21), she’ll be a keynote speaker at James Madison University for their Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. week.

Juandalynn Abernathy

Juandalynn Abernathy is a soprano concert singer. She began singing in church as a young girl, which served as a source of comfort after her family’s home in Montgomery, Alabama, was bombed on Jan. 10, 1957, according to the Tanne Foundation, an awards and grants organization for the arts. Her talent led to a master’s degree from the Boston Conservatory of Music and a scholarship from the Goethe-Institut in Munich, Germany. She has had a decorated career performing internationally and was recently honored as a 2025 Tanne Award recipient. Today, she lives in Germany and offers vocal coaching for multiple genres, according to her site.

Ralph David Abernathy III

The Rev. Ralph David Abernathy III was a Georgia state senator between 1992 and 1999, according to USA TODAY. Throughout his career, he helped create firearm legislation to protect minors and worked to protect his father’s legacy before his death in due to colon cancer March 2016.

Kwame Luthuli Abernathy

Kwame Luthuli Abernathy lives a life outside the public eye as an attorney in Atlanta and ran as a candidate for Atlanta City Council District 9 in 2017, emphasizing a platform of community safety, according to his social media.

Michael Julian Bond

Michael Julian Bond, the son of civil rights icon Julian Bond, is a member of the Atlanta City Council. He was first elected in 1993 to represent District 3 and returned to the council in 2009 to serve in the Post 1 At-Large seat. Bond remains a diligent public servant, according to the Atlanta City Council. As a legislator, he has authored and co-authored more than 1,000 pieces of legislation—more per term than any other member in Atlanta’s history, per council records.

Phyllis Jane Bond McMillan

Phyllis Jane Bond McMillan, the eldest child of Julian Bond and Alice Clopton, maintains a private life but contributes to her family’s historical record through academic projects through the Julian Bond Oral History Project.

Horace “Manny” Bond II

While Horace “Manny” Bond II generally stays out of the public eye, his participation in the Julian Bond Oral History Project in February 2020 helped to provide a rare and intimate look into his father’s life, according to the Julian Bond Oral History Project Site.

Jeffrey Alvin Bond

Like his brothers and sisters, Jeffrey Alvin Bond, the fourth child of Julian Bond and Alice Clopton, maintains a largely private life while serving as a dedicated protector of their family’s place in American history through the Julian Bond Oral History Project.

Julia “Cookie” Bond

Julia “Cookie” Bond often shares moments from her life on Instagram and regularly posts messages dedicated to her father. Alongside her brothers Horace and Jeffrey, Julia participated in the Julian Bond Oral History Project to honor her father’s legacy. 

Elisabeth Williams Omilami

Elisabeth Williams-Omilami, the daughter of civil rights leaders the Rev. Hosea Williams and Juanita T. Williams, continues her parents’ legacy of advocacy. She serves as president of Hosea Helps—also known as Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless—the largest Black-owned food bank in the Southeast. She is also an actress who appeared as a caseworker in the 2009 drama “The Blind Side” and played the role of a teacher in the 1999 political drama “Selma, Lord, Selma.”

Hosea Williams II

Hosea Williams II passed away from leukemia in 1998 at age 43, according to CBS News, but worked throughout his life to continue his father’s legacy in civil rights activism. In an interview on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” his daughter Porsha Williams noted she never saw her grandfather or father stop their advocacy work. She credited their lifelong dedication as the inspiration for her own work with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Barbara Williams Emerson

The eldest daughter of civil rights leaders, the Rev. Hosea Williams and Juanita T. Williams, Dr. Barbara Williams Emerson has spent her life extending her family’s fight for human rights. She is the president of Emerson Educational and Management Consultants and a founding board member of Be The Change People Inc., an organization that supports disadvantaged students pursuing medicine and health sciences in Uganda, according to the non-partisan organization, SCOPE50.

Dr. Marcia Young Cantarella

Dr. Marcia Young Cantarella, the daughter of civil rights leader Whitney Young Jr., is the author of “I CAN Finish College: The Overcome Any Obstacle and Get Your Degree Guide.” The book is a resource designed to help first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students complete their degrees. Cantarella has a distinguished career as an educator, having served as an associate dean at Hunter College, a dean at Princeton University, and a senior administrator at New York University’s College of Arts and Sciences, according to the book’s site.

Lauren Young Casteel

Lauren Young Casteel was the president and CEO of The Women’s Foundation of Colorado, a community-funded project that aims to protect and advance gender, racial, and financial equity for all Colorado women, but retired from the foundation in January 2025. She now serves as a board member for the Independent Sector, a national membership organization that advocates for nonprofits and philanthropic groups, according to their site.

Jacqueline “Cookie” Hamer Flakes

Jacqueline “Cookie” Hamer Flakes—daughter of civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer and her husband, Perry “Pap” Hamer—helped honor her mother’s memory with the 2022 book “Mama Fannie: Growing Up the Daughter of Civil Rights Icon Fannie Lou Hamer.” She spoke about her mother’s legacy at events across the country, including a book launch at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson and a Juneteenth celebration in Holly Springs. She was also an honorary member of Youth Against Gang Activities (YAGA) in Mississippi. Flakes passed away from breast cancer on March 27, 2023, at the age of 56, according to her public obituary.

Lenora “Nook” Hamer Flakes

Lenora “Nook” Hamer Flakes was a lifelong resident of Ruleville, Mississippi. According to Mississippi Today, she worked as the water clerk at Ruleville City Hall for 26 years before her retirement in 2015. She passed away on July 13, 2019, at age 53.