Martin Luther King III and Family: Freedom, Summer of Service, and Building the Beloved Community Together

Newsweek

a day ago

As summer unfolds and July 4 approaches, our thoughts turn to freedom, family, and the profound power of service. Together, our family—Martin, Arndrea, and our daughter Yolanda—invite you to join us in working to fulfill Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King's vision for a Beloved Community: a society built on respect, justice, and dignity.
The Beloved Community that was envisioned isn't an abstract idea—it begins in our own homes. It's reflected in how we treat one another, how we listen, and how we resolve differences with empathy and love. Home is where we first learn that love is the heartbeat of a just and moral society. It's where values are cultivated not only through words but through action. In everyday moments—small and large—we practice what we preach and begin to heal divisions. The greatest gift a family can offer isn't material wealth or recognition, but something far more lasting: the ability to love unconditionally, to serve wholeheartedly, and to work together to build a better world.
Martin Luther King III, his wife Arndrea Waters King, and daughter Yolanda Renée King participate in a vigil at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on April 4, 2022, in Washington, D.C.
Martin Luther King III, his wife Arndrea Waters King, and daughter Yolanda Renée King participate in a vigil at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on April 4, 2022, in Washington, D.C.In a time when our world feels increasingly divided—by race, class, politics—family and service remain two of the strongest forces for healing. When parents and children come together with purpose, they model the power of unity and lead by example.
We also recognize the urgency of the moment:
—Nearly half of U.S. adults report feeling lonely, according to the office of the U.S. Surgeon General;
—The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports youth mental health is at crisis levels;
—24/7 media feeds outrage but rarely offers solutions.
To counter these trends, we invite you to join us this summer in the Realize the Dream (RTD) initiative—a call to action for families to serve together. Our goal of 100 million service hours by 2029 is part of a living tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 100th birthday, honoring his legacy through action and compassion. It's about transforming love into action, turning disconnection into belonging, and fostering a culture of service.
Realize the Dream flips the script and replaces fear with action. It's an antidote to helplessness—transforming inward pain into outward service and scroll fatigue into real social connection. RTD rewrites the narrative:
—Instead of fear, we offer hope through action;
—Instead of scrolling, we inspire real-world change;
—Instead of spectating, we foster belonging.
Whether it's cleaning a park, volunteering at a food bank, mentoring a child, or advocating for justice, these acts of service build the bonds that hold us together. They remind us that we don't have to wait for someone else to fix our communities—we have the power to heal them ourselves.
And when the passion of youth combines with the wisdom and resilience of those who have walked before, movements become unstoppable. This summer, as a family we are volunteering through the Drum Major Institute by supporting civic education workshops that equip young people with the tools to advocate for change in their own communities. We are also volunteering in rural schools in the Masai Mara of Kenya. Together, we can confront the greatest challenges of our time: climate change, racial injustice, and inequality. By building bridges across generations and taking action rooted in compassion, we can move forward together.
Our living legacy isn't just about what we leave behind; it's about how we live today. It's about showing up, loving one another, and empowering the next generation to lead. Legacy becomes truly alive through our daily choices and our commitment to service.
We urge every parent, every guardian, and every family to reflect on the legacy you want to create. Join the Realize the Dream initiative. Discover the transformative power of service. Because when we serve together, we don't just strengthen our communities—we strengthen the bonds that unite us as families, and as a nation.
Martin Luther King III is the oldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. He is a thought leader on the world stage. With the astounding display of social injustice, violence, and confusion in recent years, perhaps at no other time in contemporary history has our world needed the clear-thinking and solutions-oriented voice of civil rights advocate and global humanitarian Martin Luther King III.
Yolanda Renée King is the sole grandchild of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King—and is just as passionate. She has passionately addressed mass gatherings in protests against gun violence, homelessness, and inhumane treatment of refugees seeking asylum on the U.S. southern border.
Arndrea Waters King has dedicated herself to public service as a passionate leader in the global fight against inequity, injustice, hate crimes, and all forms of pain. Throughout her life, Arndrea has consistently worked on behalf of those who have been marginalized by helping them find—and collectively use—their voices for change.
The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.