NAACP Mourns the Loss of Civil Rights Defender Dexter Scott King

Contact: Alicia Mercedes, amercedes@naacpnet.org

WASHINGTON — NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson released the following statement mourning the passing of Dexter Scott King:

"The NAACP mourns alongside the King family and the larger civil rights community as we grapple with the loss of the endearing Dexter Scott King. Dexter dedicated his life to shepherding his father's profound legacy, and through doing so, he has left all of us with a tremendous torch to carry in his own legacy. 

For nearly two decades Dexter served as Chairman of The King Center and maintained the fundamental philosophy of nonviolence in order to promote social change through his community engagement and education efforts. Leading with litigation and scholarship, Dexter's contributions to the world remind us to commit to non-violence in order to gain cultural and societal transformation. 

We thank him for his dedicated service and lifelong resiliency in upholding his father's legacy by advocating for the uplift of the Black community. He will be remembered by all who bore witness to his leadership. Our sincerest condolences are with the King family and all in mourning during this time."

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