Christopher King, Human Rights Activist and Founder of Gentlemen’s Course

By MONIQUE STAMPS

Sentinel Staff Writer

     Christopher King, the grandson of the legendary Blues musician B.B. King, has carved out a space for doing what he was called to do – fight for human rights.

    King, the son of B.B. King Jr., was born in Dallas, but raised in Savannah, GA. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Marines where he was deployed several times around the world, including Afghanistan.

  After leaving the Marines, King spent some time in the private sector before working for his famous grandfather as one of his road managers and his valet.

    King moved to Tampa in 2013, and was here when B.B. King passed away in 2015. Since then, he has made a big impact aiding victims of sexual and labor trafficking.

     While he managed his grandfather’s tour, he was also a fashion stylist and his valet. After his grandfather’s death, King needed to focus his talents in another direction.

    He was putting on fashion shows when he was introduced to the devastating losses brought on by human trafficking.

     King’s special fashion show for Miracles Outreach, an agency that provides foster care and support for girls aged 12 – 17 who have been victimized, opened his eyes.

     “They introduced me to the problem of human trafficking. Through inspiration from Miracles Outreach, I started a mentoring program now called the Gentlemen’s Course,” said King.

     The course is a purposeful program that can be delivered to any young person. It’s usually delivered in classrooms, with King getting contracts for middle schools to prevent human trafficking. Kids are taught etiquette, social skills, and human rights.

    “A lot of kids who are rescued from sexual and/or labor trafficking can’t just go back into the world. We want to provide materials and information for them as they return to their lives,” says King.

   “With incorporating human rights into our curriculum, we are hoping to educate youth with the proper tools to make better decisions as they mature and grow in today’s society.”

     King holds regular Gentlemen’s Courses for youth in schools and libraries. He also holds a Gentlemen’s Ball twice a year in support of humanitarian groups such as the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking and She Helps to Empower.

     King is also the president of the Florida chapter of the United for Human Rights Florida, working with groups like NAACP chapters from the area.