Yolanda Renee King is no stranger to activism. The sole grandchild of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, as well as the only child of Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King, the youngest King was born into a legacy of advocacy. Now, she’s bringing her family’s generations of work into the future, raising attention for issues like healthcare, housing, gun control, the environment — and, most recently, voting.
When King turned 18 this past May, one of the most exciting things she looked forward to was casting her first ballot in her hometown of Atlanta on Nov. 3. It’s a civic duty she does not take lightly. In the months leading up to the 2026 midterms, King advocated for the importance of voting across a variety of platforms, from her Instagram account to digital media features and a series of television interviews. “When you look at one of the ways that one can contribute to society and humanity the most, it’s through the vote,” King tells Her Campus. “And so I always thought that since that was something so fundamental, that we should be encouraging people to vote.”
Below, Her Campus speaks with King right after she cast her ballot on Election Day to learn more about the significance of this event to her and her family, as well as the future of her activism.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Congratulations on your first Election Day! How were you feeling as you were getting ready to vote for the first time?
I mean, overall, I was really excited. I think I’m one of those people where sometimes it takes me a minute for everything to resonate and for everything to really hit. So I think it really, really hit me the day of, when I was about to go in and that whole process and me being there. I think that’s when the excitement really, really kicked in. This morning my mom was like, “I’m so excited. It’s like Christmas!”
What did your morning routine look like today?
I kind of had an early morning. By nature, I’m not an early bird, but obviously today’s a big day. So I woke up and got ready. I had to do some media in the morning. And then we headed over there, did the votes, also documented it because, of course, my mom was telling everyone, “It’s her first time voting.”
But honestly, because it was such a special moment, I wish that it lasted longer. It was really quick — just like click, click, boom.
How are you feeling now that you’ve cast your ballot?
I feel happy. I feel like I can breathe. I’ve, I guess, put whatever it is I need into, like, the ether. My vote was blown away and captured, and it’s now off for the greater good of humanity.
In a speech at Clemson University in 2023, you quoted your grandfather, saying, “The most important step you can take is the short walk to the ballot box.” Now that you’ve voted yourself, what does this mean to you?
I think it’s so meaningful to me because, for as long as I remember, I wanted to vote. I remember my parents would take me to go vote with them, and I didn’t understand the first few times that you have to be 18. So I was like, “When am I going? When’s my turn?” And they had to tell me, “You have to wait until you’re 18.” And that made me really sad. They’d always give me the voting stickers to try to make me feel better. They’d be like, ‘But you get a sticker … Like, you voted with us, so you voted.’ And so, for a long time, my vote was basically communicated through their votes and through what they say. It was so special for me to be able to go to the ballot box myself and not just accompany someone, but then actually put in my own vote to be able to voice my own beliefs.
Did you get your “I Voted” sticker?
I did. I actually was really disappointed because they changed the “I voted” sticker. The Georgia “I voted” sticker is so pretty — it’s the pretty peach. But after I put my ballot into the machine, I went over and I saw the stickers, and I was so sad because I was looking forward to the classic ones that I was so used to seeing growing up. And then somebody told me that they usually do have those, but that’s for early voting. So, next time.
Now that you’re a freshman at Columbia University, how has your career in activism progressed? Is college shaping this journey for you?
I would say definitely so — being in a community like Columbia, very much so. There are a lot of activists and you have a student body who genuinely cares about the issues of the world and who are having these conversations. It’s just so cool. And also, I feel like what I’m learning in my classes just beautifully bridges between my activism work and helps to inform me more. Even when I graduate from there, I always like to tell people, I will always be a student no matter what. It’s so special to have it structured within my everyday life.
What comes next for you after election season?
I think the midterms are a great way to kind of get a scope of the world and where we are. And so, based on that, we’ll have to see who gets elected and how they perform and if they really hold up to what they’re saying. Then I think it’s our responsibility to continue to give them feedback, to continue to watch. I think often what ends up happening is we elect them and then we go on autopilot until presidential elections, and we can’t do that. I think we need to make sure that we’re watching and looking to see what it is they’re doing. And I think there are a lot of leaders who are willing to receive feedback. So, I think it’s important that we take advantage of that and we make sure that we let them know what it is we’re liking, what it is that needs to be improved, or what type of change we would like to see.
What’s your plan for the rest of Election Day?
Well, I guess to go celebrate my first vote, to go brag and to keep my sticker, like “Oh, yeah, I just voted for the first time today.” And also to spend time with family and just have a really nice and reflective day — and also to be watching [the results] closely. But we’re really excited.