Could These Leaders Be The Next Martin Luther King Jr?

American Civil Rights and religious leader Dr Martin Luther King Jr (1929 - 1968) gestures emphatically during a speech at a Chicago Freedom Movement rally in Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, July 10, 1966.

While there will never be another Martin Luther King Jr., here’s the next generation of civil rights leaders working to keep his legacy alive!

Rev. William Barber II

Reverend William J Barber II speaks at the We Are the Moral Resurrection! Georgetown-to-Austin March for Democracy rally to support voting rights at the Texas State Capitol on July 31, 2021, in Austin, Texas.

Rev. William Barber II is an obvious example. The civil rights leader has taken up Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.’s work with the revitalized Poor People’s Campaign.

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JANUARY 16: Bryan Stevenson, Esq., Founder and Executive Director, Equal Justice Initiative, speaks onstage during the 2023 Martin Luther King, Jr. Beloved Community Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church on January 16, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. The annual service is held in honor of the life of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who would have turn 94 on January 15th.

Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative Bryan Stevenson has been a champion of civil rights throughout his career overturning over 140 wrongful convictions through his initiative.

Stacey Abrams

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 10: Stacey Abrams speaks onstage during TIME Honoring The March: An Impact Family Dinner at The National Center for Civil and Human Rights on August 10, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Stacey Abrams has fought tirelessly for voting rights in the deep south.

Kenidra Roshay Woods

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 01: (L-R) Blair Imani, Logan Browning, Naomi Wadler and Kenidra Woods attend Teen Vogue Summit 2018: #TurnUp - Day 1 at The New School on June 1, 2018 in New York City.

At just 13 years old, she protested in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri after the killing of Michael Brown. She has continued her work as an activist, fighting for gun control, racial equity, and mental health.

Dorceta Taylor

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 15: Tanya Gayle and Dorceta E. Taylor attend the 2018 Audubon Women In Conservation Luncheon at The Plaza Hotel on May 15, 2018 in New York City.

Dorceta Taylor has been leading the fight for environmental justice across the United States — an issue that disproportionatley impacts millions of Black Americans throughout the country.

Chelsea Miller

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 15: Activist Chelsea Miller backstage during the 17th Annual Apollo Uptown Hall: MLK - Blueprint For The Culture at The Apollo Theater on January 15, 2023 in New York City.

Chelsea Miller might be young, but she’s already accomplished a lot. Miller co-founded the Freedom March NYC, a massive youth-led civil rights organization. She also worked with the Obama administration on criminal justice reform.

Bernice King

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JANUARY 09: Dr. Bernice A. King signs copies of the book “Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King” during the 2024 King Holiday Observance kickoff reception & book signing at The King Center on January 09, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s youngest child, Dr. Bernice King has worked to keep his legacy alive as CEO of the King Center and as a civil rights leader in her own right.

Isra Hirisi

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 04: Isra Hirsi speaks onstage during the Teen Vogue Summit 2021 at Goya Studios on December 04, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

Isra Hirisi is a young environmental justice activist, who co-founded the Youth Climate Strike. She was named in Fortune Magazine’s 40 under 40 in Government and Politics. She is also the daughter of Progressive Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN).

Yolanda Renee King

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 18: Yolanda Renee King, the granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr., waits to preach at the Washington National Cathedral January 18, 2022 in Washington, DC. King spoke from the cathedral’s Canterbury Pulpit, the same pulpit Martin Luther King Jr. spoke from on his last Sunday sermon before his death.

Although she’s incredibly young, Yolanda Renee King is already following in the footsteps of her iconic grandparents — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.

Martin Luther King III

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 28: Martin Luther King III speaks to members of the press as The Rev. Al Sharpton and other organizers of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington listen after a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House on August 28, 2023 in Washington, DC. The march commemorated the 60th anniversary of Dr, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where more than a quarter million people marched on the National Mall for civil rights.

Martin Luther King III, a civil rights activist and father of Yolanda Renee King, has also been compared to his famous parents.

Rashad Robinson

Rashad Robinson at the premiere of “The Color Purple” held at The Academy Museum on December 6, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

As leader of Color of Change, Rashad Robinson has been a trailblazer in the civil rights space.

Waikinya Clanton

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 08: Waikinya Clanton attends the 13th Annual Root 100 Gala at The Apollo Theater on December 08, 2022 in New York City.

Waikinya Clanton, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Mississippi office, has kept up the fight for civil rights in the deep south.

Mari Copeny

Activist Mari Copeny attends the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, May 15, 2022.

You probably know Mari Copeny as Little Miss Flint. At just 8 years-old she wrote to then-President Barack Obama about the water crisis in Flint. She has continued her activism to this day.

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