Martin Luther King Jr.s only grandchild, Yolanda Renee King, is a first-time voter: 'Full circle'

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Set us as preferred The only grandchild of celebrated civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr.and Coretta Scott King just voted for the first time, and she says she wants to lead the way her grandparents did.

Yolanda Renee King took a break from her social justice studies at Columbia University in New York City to return to her hometown of Atlanta to vote in the 2026 midterm elections alongside her parents, Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King.The occasion was a momentous one for Yolanda, who turned 18 in May.

“It’s such a full-circle moment,” she told ABC.“Finally, I can actually go.

“For such a long time, I would always tell people the importance of voting, but I could never participate myself as a voter firsthand,” she said.“But now I think it’s so special that I have a say.” Yolanda King, who penned the children’s book “We Dream a World: Carrying the Light From My Grandparents” back in 2024, has been especially busy this year, putting out calls to action for fellow teens who are now eligible to vote — in the media, on Instagram, and even at the Lincoln Memorial in August, for the 63rd anniversary of the March on Washington, where she spoke during the “Defend the Vote” rally.

Entertainment & Arts Bobby Pulido becomes the first Latin Grammy winner elected to Congress.He will represent Texas’ 15th Congressional District.According to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, close to 50 million youth ages 18 to 29 are eligible to cast ballots, including more than 8 million newly eligible voters since the 2024 election.

Although data are still being collected, at the time this article was published, 66% of that group of voters cast their ballot for a Democratic candidate for the U.S.House of Representatives, compared with 31% for a Republic...