Dr. King’s Granddaughter Offers Message to Her Peers at Washington National Cathedral 

On Tuesday, Jan. 18, 13-year-old Yolanda Renee King stood at the Canterbury pulpit in Washington National Cathedral and delivered a poignant message as part of a Close-wide observance of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day that was live-streamed to schools across the country.

More than 50 years earlier, her grandfather delivered a message from the same pulpit. “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution” would be Dr. King’s final Sunday sermon before his death just four days later. In his honor, Dr. King’s only grandchild revisited his words in a sermon.

“I never met my grandparents, but I do know the challenges they faced in their time because they’re the same challenges that we face in our time,” Ms. King said, addressing the audience. “My grandfather’s message to all of us, young and old, then and now, was wake up and get to work."

Recognizing the frustration that comes with facing the same injustices decade after decade, she asked her peers to consider the civil rights activists who came before them. “It doesn’t have to be discouraging. It can be empowering that we are still struggling with the same issues more than 50 years later. We are following in their footsteps on freedom’s road.”

Ms. King provided an example of an injustice that still lingers decades later: voter suppression. “Even before my grandfather declared ‘I have a dream,’ he demanded, ‘give us the ballot,’” she said. “We’ve got to be the generation that defends and extends our most fundamental freedom: the right to cast a vote that counts.”

She closed the sermon urging her peers to reflect on their purpose. “You know, they’ve called us Gen Z, but we can do better,” she said. “Let’s be Generation D for democracy. Let’s be Generation V for voting. And let’s be Generation G for the greatest ever until our own kids and grandkids come along.”

Whitney Kelly, assistant to the head of Middle School and divisional dean of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, offered her take. “It was really powerful to hear Ms. King speak from the same space as her grandfather. I actually started crying when she mentioned it,” said Kelly. “It was exciting for our kids to receive this message from one of their peers.”

NCS Middle Schoolers were fortunate to be able to attend the service in person. Reflecting on Ms. King’s message, Brhane G. ‘26 said, “It moved me. She had so many things to say, and they were all so important. She was talking about a lot of things that everyone needs to pay attention to.”

After the service, Ms. King joined a group of NCS Middle Schoolers for an informal question-and-answer session. For 20 minutes, the group had the opportunity to discuss the sermon and ask Ms. King about her experiences, what inspires her, and what it’s like to be the granddaughter of such a revered figure.

When asked about her call to remain hopeful in the face of injustice, Ms. King said, “One of the hardest things about activism is having hope and faith. There’s always going to be racism in this world, but you can’t listen to it. You have to have perseverance. When I listen to my grandfather’s speeches, they give me faith.”

Following the Cathedral service, NCS’s observance of MLK Day continued with a film viewing in the Lower School. In preparation to watch Ruby Bridges, students learned key terms, such as civil rights, integration, segregation, desegregation, and equal opportunity. After watching the movie, students came together in their homerooms to process difficult scenes from the film and reflect on its themes. At the end of the day, they participated in a final reflection by writing poems, drawing pictures, and writing letters and speeches.

On the Monday prior, all members of the Close-wide school community were invited to honor Dr. King’s legacy with a day of service. Nearly 25 students and 15 adults helped pack 400 bags of groceries at We Are Family, an organization supporting the elderly across Washington, D.C. Additionally, 36 students prepared 1,000 bags of trail mix for Martha’s Table, which offers education, food, and support to Washingtonians. And amidst a nationwide blood shortage, families and staff participated in a blood drive for Children’s National Hospital over the weekend.

Thank you to everyone who made this year’s MLK Day projects and programming possible. A recording of Ms. King’s sermon is available here, and you can view photos from the service in the Media Gallery.