Yolanda Renee King Is Passionate About Fighting For Social Justice

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The granddaughter of civil rights activist Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has sent a strong message to politicians not to underestimate the power that young folks can have on implementing change.

13-year-old Yolanda Renee King recently told Now This that although she isn’t young enough to vote, she’s adamant about staying abreast and informed on voting issues that could impact younger generations.

“We can tell our leaders what we want. My generation, I feel like we’re into these issues and so it’s almost like a mosquito bite. You know how you just want to itch it? That’s what these issues feel like.”

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Yolonda said while she is too young to understand the significance of her grandfather’s impact in the civil rights movement, she hopes to carry on his historic work by using her own platform to shed light on social justice issues. Back in August, the young activist gave a moving speech at the March On Washington and Voting Rights event in Washington D.C. The historic march marked the 58th anniversary of her grandfather’s “I Have a Dream” speech that took place near the Washington Monument.

“Today is a historic day because on this date 50 years ago, my grandfather led a March on Washington to demand that our country give Black Americans the same rights as white Americans,” Yolanda told crowd-goers ABC 7 notes.

Yolanda continued:

 “My generation can’t vote, but your vote affects us, so we have to demand that our leaders do their jobs. Marching and activism are the tools we have and we need to use them. I marched because this isn’t a game. This is about the issues and policies that affect our lives. It’s about the kids who are scared to go to school because of gun violence. It’s about the Black women who are fighting hard every day in places like Georgia to make it easier for people to vote. I marched because I’m tired of elected officials putting themselves first — to be honest, I am disgusted by the behavior of many of our leaders in this country.”

You tell them, Yolanda! We can’t wait to see the work this social justice warrior is going to accomplish. She’s certainly following in her grandfather’s footsteps.