NEW YORK (ABP) — Yolanda King, the oldest child of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., died in Santa Monica, Calif., May 15. She was 51.
Spokesmen have said the family thinks the cause of death was a heart problem. According to multiple press reports, the Los Angeles County coroner's office is not planning to conduct an autopsy.
An actress, author and peace advocate, King was born in 1955 in Montgomery, Ala. Known to her family as Yoki, she appeared in several films, including a 1978 miniseries about her father's life called “King” and the movie “Ghosts of Mississippi.” She also founded a production company called Higher Ground Productions.
Her death comes a little more than a year after the passing of her mother, Coretta Scott King.
Yolanda King's death also will likely break a stalemate among the remaining King children over whether the King Center in Atlanta should be sold to the National Park Service. The Park Service operates the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, which surrounds the center and includes Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth home.
Yolanda King and her brother Dexter voted in 2005 to make the sale. Martin Luther King III and Bernice King have said they would oppose the sale.
Yolanda King is survived by her siblings and extended family members.
Arrangements for a funeral will be announced later, a statement from the family said.
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