Dexter King famously left Atlanta for California about a decade ago to clear his head and escape the excruciating spotlight of being the son of Coretta and Martin Luther King Jr. in their hometown.
But on a misty Saturday night, Atlanta turned up at Ebenezer Baptist Church, his family’s long-time spiritual home, to say their final goodbyes.
Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, died Jan. 22 at age 62 after battling prostate cancer. He died in his sleep at his home in Malibu, California, that he shared with his wife of 11 years, Leah Weber King.
Dexter Scott King, youngest son of MLK, dies of prostate cancer
Leah Weber King said earlier this week that the ceremony would celebrate Dexter King with music and reverence. The service was called a “candlelight musical experience,” and it lived up to its name.
Ebenezer Baptist Church, which has been affiliated with Dexter King’s family for more than 100 years, never looked more beautiful.
The evening ceremony cast Ebenezer, with its large windows normally bathed in sunlight, in a different light. The sanctuary was illuminated with ambient light along the walls, and the windows were lined with golden candles, framing a candle display on the massive altar that all together provided an intimate, warm glow throughout the church.