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Biography
YOLANDA KING
Actress~Producer~Lecturer
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, two weeks before Rosa Parks refused to give
up her seat on the bus and triggered the movement that ultimately desegregated
the South, Yolanda King has been in the midst of the struggle for human
rights all of her life. The first-born child of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Yolanda has participated in numerous civil
and human rights demonstrations and has spoken before countless religious,
educational, civic and human rights groups.
At the age of eight, Ms. King wrote a play in which she directed her
reluctant siblings and subsequently performed for her parents and friends.
By the age of twelve, she had choreographed two musicals and directed
several theatrical productions. These early initiatives began a career
in the performing arts, which led her to The Actor’s and Writer’s
Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia, where she studied theatre and appeared
in productions in the Atlanta area.
After graduating from Henry Grady High School in the top 10% of her class,
she continued her education at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts,
receiving a B.A. degree with honors in Theatre and African-American Studies.
While at Smith, she co-directed the Student Theatre Workshop and
portrayed a wide diversity of characters in productions both at Smith
and the surrounding area. She then moved on to New York where she obtained
a M.F.A. in Theatre at New York University and directed and performed
in productions in New York and the Tri-State area.
She considers herself an artist-communicator who is committed to using
her talents to affect social and personal change. Ms. King has combined
her involvement with human rights organizations and causes with her artistic
pursuits. As she explains, “While it is imperative to actively challenge
the forces that deny human beings their right to a decent life . . . one
must also stimulate and impact the hearts and minds of both the privileged
as well as those who have been too long denied. Within the arts lies this
power.”
Her career has reflected this belief. In addition to working with a number
of human rights organizations and causes, Ms. King was a founding member
of Christian Theatre Artists and for ten years she served as Co-Founding
Director of NUCLEUS, (a company of performing artists dedicated
to promoting positive energy through the arts) with Attallah Shabazz,
the eldest child of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz.
In 1990, she formed Higher Ground Productions. Its first project was
“TRACKS,” a multimedia theatrical production celebrating
the philosophy of Dr. King. This one woman show featuring Ms. King portraying
sixteen characters, toured the country for four years. Higher Ground
Productions’ most recent project, “Achieving The Dream,”
premiered during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia and is currently
being performed around the country.
As a seasoned and respected actress, many of Ms. King’s stage, television
and film credits reflect her interest in social change and include portrayals
of Rosa Parks in the NBC-TV movie “King” with Paul Winfield
and Cicely Tyson; of Dr. Betty Shabazz in the feature film “Death
of A Prophet” with Morgan Freeman; and of Medgar and Myrlie Evers’
daughter Reena in Rob Reiner’s Golden Globe nominated film “Ghosts
of Mississippi.” Her performance as Mrs. Crawford in the HBO Special
“America’s Dream: The Boy Who Painted Christ Black”
contributed toward five Cable Ace Awards and the N.A.A.C.P. Image
Award for Best Television Movie or Mini-Series
For three years, Ms. King served as a Visiting Professor, teaching in
the Theater Department at Fordham University in New York City. At Fordham,
she directed and portrayed the role of Mama in Lorraine Hansberry’s
“A Raisin in the Sun.” Her most recent film projects
brought her together with some of Hollywood’s famed actors: “The
Secret Path” with Della Reese and Ossie Davis; “Funny Valentines”
with Alfre Woodard; and “Selma, Lord, Selma” with Jurnee
Smollett for ABC’s “Wonderful World of Disney.”
Presently, Ms. King maintains an active schedule speaking and performing
throughout the United States and Europe, while working on theatre and
film production projects from her home in Los Angeles, California.
She recently made her Television Series debut playing Judge Esther Green
in the hit CBS series “JAG”. She is most proud of her
portrayal of Odessa in the short feature film, “Odessa”,
currently being considered for Academy Award nomination.
Ms. King has been honored with numerous presentations, awards and citations
by organizations around the country and was named to Outstanding Young
Women of America. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Martin
Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc. (the official
national memorial to Dr. King) and was founding Director of the King Center’s
Cultural Affairs Program. She serves as Honorary Co-Chair of the Memorial
to Our Lost Children and is a member of the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference, the Partnership Council of Habitat for Humanity, a sponsor
of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and holds
a lifetime membership in the N.A.A.C.P.
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