Special master will deal with Coretta 
Scott King’s letters, children
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
A Fulton County Superior Court judge decided to appoint a special master to work with both sides in the dispute over who has rights to love letters between the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his late wife, Coretta Scott King.
The three living children of the civil rights icon were in court Tuesday to determine whether the letters and other “intimate correspondence” should be turned over to be used in an autobiography of Mrs. King.
Dexter King, who heads King Inc., has negotiated a $1.4 million contract for his mother’s autobiography, but Bernice King has refused to hand over the letters and photos found in Mrs. King’s home after her death in 2006. She and Martin Luther King III say their mother wouldn’t want Barbara Reynolds, the journalist-turned minister who would co-write the book, to be involved. And they don’t want their brother, whom they believe is abusing his power as head of King Inc., to guide the project.
But time is of the essence. The publisher, Penguin Group, has set a Friday deadline by which they must receive the papers or they will end the contract.
Dexter emerged as the King family spokesman in early 1995, when he succeeded Coretta as president and CEO of the King Center. He inaugurated his tenure with a call to arms: "My father delivered political freedom, and I would like to deliver economic freedom. ... I'm calling home all those freedom fighters who marched with my father. Dexter Scott King is going to be there with you this time, and we will make it to the promised land."
Submariner said..
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This kind of dissension tells me that they're all unclean. Aside from Rev. Joseph Lowery, Dick Gregory, and Harry Belafonte, few figures have emerged from the Civil Rights Movement as paragons of justice. The usual pattern is self promotion and commodification of the legacy.
Hawa Bond said...
Well... King has a legacy and a story that should be told... and three regular folks, just like you and me, provide oversight to the public (and private) aspect of that legacy. Can we forget that as regular folks, they are also dealing with the raw emotion of losing their parents?
People forget that arguments over the estate of a parent represent the norm. Unfortunately, in this case, we're talking about the estate of two very high-profile parents who left their greatest gifts to the public at large.
I'm not prepared to call them all "unclean" without considering the raw emotion of their naturally-broken hearts.
7 comments:
I hate to be crude, but fuck all of them.
Why you say that Sub?
This kind of dissension tells me that they're all unclean. Aside from Rev. Joseph Lowery, Dick Gregory, and Harry Belafonte, few figures have emerged from the Civil Rights Movement as paragons of justice. The usual pattern is self promotion and commodification of the legacy.
I mdown here in the atl and cant belive they tripping like that
Well... King has a legacy and a story that should be told... and three regular folks, just like you and me, provide oversight to the public (and private) aspect of that legacy. Can we forget that as regular folks, they are also dealing with the raw emotion of losing their parents?
People forget that arguments over the estate of a parent represent the norm. Unfortunately, in this case, we're talking about the estate of two very high-profile parents who left their greatest gifts to the public at large.
I'm not prepared to call them all "unclean" without considering the raw emotion of their naturally-broken hearts.
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Give to classroom projects in high-poverty schools via DonorsChoose 2008: Friends of Fackin Truth Blog (Participating via the AfroSpear with Black Bloggers for Education).
The truth of the matter is that Coretta was far more into money than Martin. Martin lived a very spartan life, with little to no money and no savings whatsoever. After he died, Coretta monetized his legacy and probably infected the kids with an over-emphasis on money. I can understand losing your parents is tough, but airing your dirty laundry in public courts is beneath their great heritage.
When money is involved, folks lose their minds. All bets are off and you can pretty much scrap what you thought you knew about what people would and would not do. The King family aint no different.
Write that down.
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