Dexter Scott King, the younger son of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, has died after battling prostate cancer.

The King Center in Atlanta says the 62-year-old son of the civil rights leader died Monday at his California home after battling prostate cancer.

Dexter King was named for the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Alabama where his father once served as pastor, and he was just 7 years old when his father was assassinated in 1968.

As an adult, Dexter King focused on shepherding his father's legacy and protecting the King family's intellectual property. Dexter King was serving as the King Center's chairman at the time of his death.

Tags: Georgia  Atlanta  King Center  Martin Luther King Jr