Realize the Dream Announces Historic King Family Return to Nobel Peace Prize Events for the First Time Since 1964

Yolanda Renee King, Granddaughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to Speak at Nobel Peace Prize Forum, Advancing a Multi-Generational Legacy of Peace

ATLANTA, Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - In a historic moment bridging generations, the King family will return to the Nobel Peace Prize platform for the first time since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Yolanda Renee King, the only grandchild of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King, will speak at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum 2025 in Oslo, marking a significant continuation of her family's global legacy and commitment to peace.

Accompanied by her parents Arndrea Waters King and Martin Luther King III, Yolanda Renee King will participate in The Legacy of Laureates program. Together, the family continues Dr. King's legacy through stewardship of nonviolence civic engagement and justice initiatives. Launched in 2024, Realize the Dream is founded and led by Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King and Yolanda Renee King, with a five-year goal of creating 100 million hours of service by what would have been Dr. King's 100th birthday in 2029. Realize the Dream is a collaboration between the Martin Luther King III Foundation and Legacy+.

"Returning to Oslo is not only about honoring my father's legacy, but about activating the future," said Martin Luther King III. "Through 'Realize the Dream', we are turning his vision into action, calling on people to strengthen democracy and community through service. Having Arndrea and my daughter Yolanda carry his vision forward on a global stage is a beautiful testament to its intergenerational power and relevance for the 21st century."

"I am honored to walk in the footsteps of my grandfather and the many others who have fought tirelessly for a more just and democratic world. My very presence on that stage is a reminder that the fight for global peace is still ongoing, and this moment requires my generation to remain steadfast in action and service. Our collective future depends on us all doing our part to carry forward the dream and make it a reality," said Yolanda Renee King.

This moment emphasizes that Dr. King's legacy just doesn't live on, it continues to inspire generations that have followed. Dr. King accepted the Nobel Peace Prize at age thirty-five as the leader of a rising nonviolent movement. More than sixty years later his granddaughter steps onto a Nobel stage for the first time offering a new generation's voice to the ongoing pursuit of peace and democracy.

The Nobel Peace Prize Forum 2025, titled Ballots not Bullets: The Democratic Pathway to Peace, focuses on democracy as a foundation for peace amid growing threats to democratic norms across the world. The Forum honors this year's laureate María Corina Machado for her work in defending free and fair elections in Venezuela. The event will also feature Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Mungi Ngomane, granddaughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Additional international experts and democracy advocates from leading institutions will join the program.

About Realize the Dream

Realize the Dream is a national movement led by Arndrea Waters King and Martin Luther King III with the active leadership of Yolanda Renee King. The initiative calls people across the country to strengthen democracy through meaningful acts of service ahead of the 100th anniversary of Dr. King's birth in 2029. Realize the Dream advances the values of justice, compassion and unity that shaped Dr. King's life and influence.

SOURCE Realize the Dream