Yolanda Renee King was the special guest speaker at the IndyPL Fall Fest on Nov. 16.
King comes from a long line of activists as the only grandchild of Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Her parents are Martin Luther King, III and Arndrea Waters King.
“I think it’s really timely that we have King here today,” IndyPL’s Public Relations Manager Keshia McEntire said. “We’re really excited to have her here and encouraging the young people to continue that dream forward.”
Indy’s own Anais Briscoe-Beouy was the moderator for King’s talk at Fall Fest. Briscoe-Beouy is a local outspoken youth advocate, poet and the Regional Scholastic Writing Award winner.
“I’m really honored that I get to speak with her and ask some questions, especially with her being another youth,” Briscoe-Beouy said. “There’s so many of us, but so (few) of us get the connections to share our voices.”
McEntire said the goal of the Fall Fest is to give youth the opportunity to share their gifts with the community. Each year they bring in a role model for the youth to look up to.
King’s message at this year’s event was about courage. As a young activist in her own right, she is a nationally renowned speaker on issues like gun violence, climate change, women’s rights, discrimination and education reform. She is also the author of a children’s book called, “We Dream a World,” which was inspired by her grandparents.
King said most people acknowledge the accomplishments of her grandfather, but her grandmother played a huge role in inspiring her even though they never met.
“One thing that I learned from her specifically is perseverance,” said King, who added that her grandmother was much more than Martin’s widow. “… After (her husband) was assassinated, she essentially devoted her whole life to spreading the King message, to really getting his work out there and starting the King holiday.”
Her grandmother’s determination is what stood out for the youngest King.
“It was because of her that his legacy stayed alive,” King said. “His legacy didn’t die with him because of her perseverance.”
Life as a teen activist
When she is not speaking or doing schoolwork, King likes staying in and watching movies. She is also learning the value of spending time alone, reflecting and getting to know herself.
The Montgomery, Al. native said it’s getting more challenging to manage the responsibilities of her activism, school and personal life as she gets older. She can’t miss as many classes as she used to now that she is a junior in high school.
“You have to find a balance,” King said. Sometimes that means taking a break to practice self-care or just have fun. She said it’s important to have a personal life to help her recharge.
King said spending time with family is a top priority. While there aren’t any other kids in her family, she enjoys time with her parents and other relatives.
“My family takes Christmas very seriously,” King said. She was looking forward to putting up decorations early this year and participating in the family’s annual gift exchange.
How adults can support youth activists
“A lot of times what we need from our adults, from our more seasoned people is mentorship,” King said. “Even if they don’t say it, I think (young) people will appreciate having that adult to talk to.”
She encouraged adults to step in and support the youth by helping them navigate different situations, being role models and providing guidance. King said she picked up a lot of habits and passion for activism from watching her parents.
“When I was little, I thought my dad was Super Man,” King said. She used to want to follow him everywhere. She later followed in her family’s footsteps by being a voice for some of the most important issues of the day.
“It’s really important to let young people know that their voice matters, that they can get on stage and talk to people and that people will listen to what they have to say,” McEntire said.
“We Dream a World” by Yolanda Renee King is available wherever books are sold.
Additional reporting by student reporter, Priya Jones. Contact Editor-in-Chief Camike Jones at 317-762-7850 or camikej@indyrecorder.com.
