Yolanda Renee King is stepping into a new chapter of her family’s legacy after voting for the first time in the 2026 midterm elections.
The 18-year-old, who is the only grandchild of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, became eligible to vote after celebrating her birthday in May. On Tuesday, November 3, she headed to the polls in Atlanta, Georgia, to take part in the election for the first time.
King marked the milestone by partnering with When We All Vote, a nonprofit organization that encourages voter participation.
In a joint Instagram post, she shared several pictures documenting the occasion.
“My grandparents had their fight. My parents had theirs. This one is mine. People bled for this right. I’m not going to waste it,” Yolanda said, according to UNILAD.
When We All Vote also celebrated her participation.
“Major shoutout to @YolandaReneeKing, who just voted for the very first time in Atlanta, Georgia! As the granddaughter of civil rights icons Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Yolanda is drawing on their legacy while forging her own path.
“Welcome to the Voting Squad, Yolanda!”
Martin Luther King Jr.’s grandchild
King also had an encouraging message: “Empowered is an understatement. The baton is in our hands. Polls are still open, so go use it,” she said.
In another post, she paid tribute to her parents and grandparents, writing: “This is for my grandparents. Thanks mom and dad for leading me!”
During an interview with CNN, she described how her parents would bring her along when they went to vote.
“They would take me to the polls, and so I [would]… see that growing up. And then I remember feeling really sad because I realized, ‘Oh, I can’t participate in the voting,’ and so then that would make me really sad, and they’d always give me the ‘I just voted’ sticker. So I’d go around parading around and pretending like I just voted.”
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