Martin Luther King III on Growing Up Without His Iconic Dad, How He Had to 'Emerge from My Father's Vast Shadow'

In 2022, Martin Luther King III, the son of the legendary slain civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., talked to PEOPLE about what it was like spending the first 10 years of his life living in the same house as the man who inspired so many people of all races around the world.

"He was like our little buddy, like our playmate," recalled Martin III, who was the second of Martin Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King's four children. "I remember one time, him coming up the steps as we looked out of the window to see him. It was amazing to see the transformation. As he was coming up the stairs, he seemed to be pulling 100-lb. iron weights on his legs."

"He was exhausted," King III continued. "But as soon as he saw us, an exhilaration came over him, because we were so excited to see him: 'Daddy's home! Daddy's home!' When he got to the top of the stairs and the door was open, a renewed energy came across him."

Related: What Is My Legacy? Martin Luther King III's New Book Offers a Path to Fulfillment — Read an Excerpt (Exclusive)

King III explores his father's legacy and his own (which is a work in progress) in the new book What Is My Legacy?: Realizing a New Dream of Connection, Love and Fulfillment (Flashpoint). It's a collaboration with his wife, Arndrea Waters King, and their fellow human-rights activists Mark and Craig Kielburger.

In the excerpt below, King III, 67, discusses living under the shadow of his father's enormous legend, and how he's managed to push himself out from under the weight of it, honoring the path of his father while forging one of his own.

On August 28, 1963, in front of a crowd of nearly 250,000 people spread across the National Mall in Washington, DC, my father, the Baptist preacher and civil rights leader Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. That speech now stands out as one of the twentieth century’s most unforgettable moments and celebrated speeches.

After laying bare the brutal facts of racism in America, my father offered up a dream of an America in which people of all races and faiths live together in harmony and mutual respect, free of economic and employment inequalities. Among the most quoted lines of the speech are “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

I was five at the time, too young to attend. Instead, I stayed at home in Atlanta. But I have since listened to his dream many times over the years. Every time, it brings tears to my eyes. His message of hope is something that I’ve continued to share throughout my life. My father’s dream is not just a speech he gave or an idyllic view of what could be. His dream is something we must all choose each day to work toward. What my father was asking for all those years ago was to create a world where every person can realize their dreams. That is something I also want for each of us. My father’s dream remains unfulfilled, but it is still very much alive.

Related: Martin Luther King III Says Dad Would Be 'Disappointed' in Today's Poverty and Income Inequality

After leading the March on Washington, he went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize, the youngest person awarded the honor at that time. Then when I was ten years old, in 1968, my father was assassinated. He was frozen in time at the height of his influence as a vital, passionate civil rights leader who has inspired millions of people to take nonviolent action for peace and social justice.

My dad will always be larger than life. And for me, the struggle of my life has been, first and foremost, growing up without him. As a boy, I longed to shoot hoops, wrestle, and ride bikes with my dad, as we used to do before he was killed. As a man, I wish he’d seen me graduate from college, marry the love of my life, the incredible Arndrea Waters King, and raise a fierce daughter—his only grandchild—Yolanda Renee King, with his oratory gifts running through her veins.

My mom, the incomparable Coretta Scott King, who died in 2006, would sometimes tell me, “Your father would be so proud of you.” This would bring tears to my eyes. I would almost melt into the moment, wanting so badly to hear those very words from his mouth and feel the warmth of his approval. 

Related: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Son Reveals Why He 'Never Felt Afraid' While Facing Brutal Racism with Dad

As you can imagine, I have thought more about legacy than most people. My father passed a huge legacy to me, and so did my mother — combating hate, racism, violence and poverty while trying to build the Beloved Community with room for us all. An important part of my life has been furthering their work. What a great honor it is to pursue this mission, in the hopes that my efforts — on the wings of their legacy — will help create a better world. 

Even so, I’ve grappled with my parents’ legacies and my role in them. I’ve spent my life in the shadow of my dad’s accomplishments, and I’ve often struggled to figure out how to emerge from my father’s vast shadow to define my own legacy. Many times, I have asked myself whether the purpose of my life will be defined by my father or by me. 

While there were times in my life when I lived in the shadow of my father’s legacy, the truth is that inheriting my father’s name and legacy has been a privilege and a deep honor. So, in answer to the question “Have I done enough?” the answer can only be “There is so much more to be done.”

My Legacy?: Realizing a New Dream of Connection, Love and Fulfillment, published by Flashpoint, is available wherever books are sold.

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