Eldest child of Martin Luther King-Jr dies

The oldest child and daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King-Jr has died. A spokesman for The King Center in Atlanta said Yolanda Denise King passed away last night in Santa Monica-California at 51 years old. The cause of death is not known, but the family believes it might have been from a heart problem.

Yolanda King was born in 1955 in Montgomery-Alabama. She was an author, and followed her father as a speaker and advocate for peace and nonviolence. She held membership in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, co-founded by her father in 1957. During King Day ceremonies honoring her father in January, she spoke strongly of Dr. King's life and legacy.

King was also an actress who appeared in several films, and started a production company.

Yolanda Denise King is survived by her sister, 2 brothers, and extended family. Her death comes more than a year after that of her mother, Coretta Scott King.