November 3, 2026
The 18-year-old college student returned home to continue the King family legacy.
Yolanda Renee King, the sole grandchild of civil rights icons Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, cast her first ballot in Atlanta, Georgia, on Nov. 3. The 18-year-old college student returned home to continue the King family legacy of civic engagement.
Yolanda, along with her parents, Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King, arrived at Trinity Presbyterian Church, located at 3003 Howell Mill Road NW, around 10:30 AM, eager to finally participate in Election Day. King’s granddaughter said she couldn’t wait for her own opportunity to vote after witnessing her parents step into the voting booth for many years. Yolanda spoke to the great responsibility of voting and the importance of casting her own ballot.
“My grandparents had their fight. My parents had theirs. This one is mine,” Yolanda said. “People bled for this right. I’m not going to waste it.”
The voting milestone highlights the growing influence of young voters in Georgia and nationwide, with research from CIRCLE at Tufts University estimating that nearly 50 million Americans aged 18 to 29 are eligible to participate in this election cycle.
Although it’s her first voting selection, Yolanda is not oblivious to what’s at stake politically and socioeconomically. In an interview at the northwest Atlanta polling site, she articulated the issues that concern her most.
“We see voting rights being attacked, and so one of the best ways to do that is through resistance,” Yolanda told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“I think one of the best ways to resist is through voting … we were talking in the car about how the voting process works, and I was thinking about all the legislation that was passed following the 2020 elections within our state, and I was thinking wow…”
Yolanda continued, “Why are they making … voting more difficult? Why is it harder to vote, and easier to own a gun? A lot of these decision makers know that voting matters.”
Check out more of BE’s conversation with Yolanda King below.
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