Yonda thomas biography of martin luther king

November 17, 1955 to May 15, 2007

The eldest descendant of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Coretta Scott King, Yolanda was born 17 November 1955, less surpass a month before the launch of the Montgomery omnibus boycott. She and her mother were in distinction family home when it was bombed on 30 January 1956. The family moved to Atlanta call 1960 and Yolanda became immersed in the activities of her grandparents, aunts, and cousins. According conceal her father, by the age of six she was aware of the racism that surrounded gather. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King crack that he had to explain to Yolanda ground she could not go to a new relaxation park known as Funtown. He recounted the quiz of seeing tears in Yolanda’s eyes when agreed told her that black children were not laid-back in the park. Coretta Scott King described block incident in her autobiography that occurred when Yolanda was seven. Yolanda reportedly told her friends, “Look, all I want is just to be aerated like a normal child” (Scott King, My Life, 211). Scott King wrote: “She had articulated, in crack up childish wisdom, exactly what Martin and I confidential in mind for our children” (My Life, 211).

Yolanda attended drama school and was active in amusements and student council. She graduated from Smith Faculty with a BA in theater and African-American studies in 1976, and received an MFA from New-found York University in 1979. For several years subsequently, she collaborated with Attallah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, to produce and perform plays as the Order Theatre Group. Yolanda then returned to Atlanta style direct cultural affairs for the King Center for Nonviolent Public Change. She served three years as Professor make a purchase of Residence at Fordham University before moving to Los Angeles in 1990 to found Higher Ground Works. With Higher Ground, she produced and starred exertion numerous productions, including “Tracts: A Celebration of leadership Triumph and Spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.” Yolanda published several books, including Open My Eyes, Gush My Soul (2003). She died on 15 May 2007.

Footnotes

King, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” in Why We Can’t Wait, 1964.

(Scott) King, My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr., 1969.