Dexter Scott, King’s third child, is born.

On January 30, 1961, Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King welcomed their third child, Dexter Scott King, into the world. His birth brought warmth and renewed hope to a family already deeply engaged in the struggle for civil rights. Named after Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, where Dr. King had served as pastor during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Dexter's name itself was a tribute to a defining chapter in his father’s leadership and the movement’s early victories. Amid the chaos of protests, threats, and national scrutiny, the arrival of another child offered a deeply personal reminder of why the Kings fought so tirelessly—for a future where their children could live free from the burdens of discrimination. Growing up in the shadow of a national icon, Dexter Scott King would later dedicate much of his life to preserving his father’s legacy. He served as a prominent advocate for nonviolence and headed the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. His birth, like that of his siblings, symbolized the enduring strength of family amid the firestorm of activism. For the Kings, each child was both a blessing and a source of inspiration, anchoring their vision for a more just and humane society. #MomentsOfLife #MoofLife_Moment #MoofLife #DexterScottKing #MLKFamily #BornIntoLegacy #CivilRightsFamily #KingLegacy #HopeInTheStruggle