MLKs Papers to be Auctioned
 

Many of the papers, notes, and annotations of Dr. King's speeches were recently found in Coretta's basement. Now, the King Siblings have decided to auction the papers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060608...n_060608164125

1. What are your thoughts?
2. Should the heirs keep the papers for themselves?

:confused:

Yes they should keep those papers for themselves. Some things just should not be auctioned. :( I WISH I had a tangible piece of my father like that. I would not let it go.

I could see if they made provisions that after the last King child dies, the papers go to XYZ or to the MLK Center, etc. but I would not dare auction jack.

This saddens me. If people want to see the papers, make photocopies but don't give out the originals.

I would sell them.

Wow this is a good topic of debate!!

I know this has even been a BIG item of debate for the King children in recent monthes.

If Dr. King was my father, Im not sure if Id be willing to part with a lot of more than 10,000 items...his private papers — more than 7000 handwritten items! I think when Dr King was preserving these documents for his family he was not intending for it to be used for financial gain but simply as "keepsakes" for the family.

On the other hand, with the King Center in need millions of dollars--its not a bad idea to support this cause.

I dont know..I need to do more research on this topic. There are SO many elements to this debate.

Papers
 

I would keep them or donate them to a museum or to the university from which he graduated. Their value has become larger than his family.

I think they should donate them, I think that is what their mother and father would have wished so that his works can live on in our society. They should not be sold to the highest bidder for the most money -to do with however he or she would choose and for what purpose?:(

I heard this discussion on the Tom Joyner Morning Show last week. I think they said that Coretta wanted the papers to go to a museum or libray not an individual. From my understanding Dr. King did not leave any money behind to his family. He gave a lot to charity, etc. I would hate to see Dr. King's items go to the wrong people. The family really needs to look into boosting their PR efforts for the King Center. I think if anything his papers should be housed there. (Or like someone mentioned Morehouse). I was amazed at how many people who live in Atlanta had never been to the King Center. I'm not from Atlanta but the King Center was one of the first places I visited when I visited Atlanta. I know that there is some type of campaign going on to raise funds for a memorial in DC I believe. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. The info/commercial was so quick I didn't get a chance to copy the web address. I think that it's a shame that his writings are up for sale. They are too valuable to just sale to someone.

Franklin, Young lead bid to buy King papers

By MARIA SAPORTA, MAE GENTRY
The Atlanta Journal-Consitution
Published on: 06/18/06

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and former Mayor Andrew Young are working quietly with Herman Russell and other influential residents to raise money and find a home in Atlanta for Martin Luther King Jr.'s personal papers, which will be auctioned June 30 at Sotheby's in New York.

"I've been talking to a lot of people," said Young, who was a close aide to King during the civil rights movement. "There are a number of people trying to find ways to get a group together. But, if you can do it, you can best do it if it's kept quiet."

Franklin did not want to comment on the effort to raise money to bid on the collection, which is being sold by King's children.

"Mum is the word," she said. But she added: "It's accurate to say that the King papers in Atlanta and the capital city of the South would be a slam dunk — if we could figure it out."

Emory University President Jim Wagner said the school would donate money for the bid and offer to house the documents, which date from 1946 until 1968, the year the civil rights leader was assassinated.

read the rest here:
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/met.../0681king.html

I heard that commentary too. As was mentioned, the King CHILDREN are GROWN men and women now. Their father passed away YEARS ago. No, he wasn't "rich" financially, but THEY CAN GET A JOB! I'm not trying to be harsh, but DO something. They can make 25K (at least) with one speaking engagement. It seems to me, that they were only into the Keep the Dream Alive for the sake of their mother.

As my mother says, "let your conscience be your guide."

I'm selfish, so I know I'd keep the papers for my offspring. The King "children" cannot even do that. :confused: :o

Morehouse Gets the King Papers

I have mixed emotions about this.

Personally, I would have kept the papers as a family heirloom and as a memento of my father. However, seeing as the King children decided to sell them, I don't think they should keep the money. I think that they should donate them to an organization like the King Center or the NAACP.

You were on it!! Documents will go to Morehouse.;)

I am pleased that Morehouse acquired the collection but they should not have had to pay for them. I think that it was very selfish of the King family to put the collection out there like that. It is also kind of funny that after all previous attempts, the first attempt after Coretta's death is the one that finally fell into place.

You can tell the King children were spoiled and selfish due to all the disagreements on things after the death of Coretta. Every King for themselves. I personally wouldn't have kept them. What use would they do me? I would have donated them to Alpha Phi Alpha.

The Morehouse acquisition is probably the best resolution to the matter -- most people can now feel reasonably assured that the papers will be sufficiently preserved and presented.

I haven't agreed with many of the King family's publicly known business decisions --the cingular commericals still make me cringe-- but these have been their decisions to make. Bro. King was their father/husband and they've personally had to live all these years without him, yet hearing other's thoughts on what he would say, and what they should be doing. That cannot be easy.

I was listening to Tom Joyner's Show this morning and THANK GOD those paper are no longer being auctioned. I'm glad to see the people of ATL come together for such a good cause and raise enough money to buy it and donate it to Morehouse. What I do want to know about though is where that $32 million is going? I wonder how Dr. and Mrs. King would feel about the route that his kids took on this issue

I know they were saying that it cost millions to run the King Center in ATL, so Im sure they are going to use it to maintain and upkeep the center. Im sure a portion will go to his children as well. :confused:

I don't purport to know the financial status of the King family other than what I have read, which is Dr.King didn't exactly leave them with much more than fame. I think that Morehouse receiving the papers is absolutely the right decision.

But on the other hand, I do agree with you that some of the things that have been aired about the sibling rivalries are disturbing. I can't imaging what that must have done to Coretta.

I wonder how they raise money. Don't most centers have grants and such to cover costs?

One way to raise money might be to get a tighter grip on all of the MLK stuff that is out there on the internet and start a stringent licensing program of the stuff not already in the public domain. That would probably not feel right to them however (to restict use of MLK's writings, etc.).

SC

Cingular commercial? :confused: :eek:

a few years ago (4-5?), the family sold the rights to MLK's image to Cingular. Cingular then superimposed King's image from his 1963 I Have A Dream speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial into a commerial they were doing for their phones. ...it was something less than a shining moment, IMO. :confused:

No one else remembers seeing this?

I remember thinking how crass the whole idea was...

I would think that it would be considered a non profit organization and that they would qualify for grants, etc. But I'm not sure what they're doing over there. It all just seems kind of unorganized.


I'm glad that Morehouse has the papers but I didn't know Morehouse would have to purchase them.

AKA2D '91 -You're right, King passed in 1968. I'm not certain that money will be the answers to their problems. If they don't make wise decisions they'll just blow through their money and end up right back at square one. I guess only time will tell though. Hopefully they will do the right thing with the money and continue their parent's legacy.

KING PAPERS ARE HERE
 

The King papers are here at Morehouse College, their rightful home. If they were not going to be with the family then surely the instituion in which he matriculated should own them. It is after the place where many of his thoughts and philosophies were born and cultivated.

This is all so touchy I just hope that 30 or 40 years the MLK Center is still up and thriving for future generations to enjoy. Whats so wrong with the city owning it or maybe making it a foundation so it can recieve federal funding!

Here we go again....(AP)
 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070403/...8f9m37WulH2ocA

I hope either the family or the city leaders will come up with the money to stop the auction and have the placed at the center or at Morehouse.

TTT...And Again....
 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081208/...ZlKcBP9gFxFb8C

Knowing how much flack the children got from selling those papers, why would Harry Belafonte do this? Does he need the money?

The last time, the city of Atlanta were able to buy the papers and the big companies in the city (AT&T, Turner, Delta, etc.) were able to help. Now with the economy in the toilet, most of those companies and the city won't have the extra money to buy them.

I hope whoever buys them has the heart to donate them to Morehouse or Boston University.

Please discuss. :)

In a telephone interview, Belafonte said he was putting his documents up for sale because "I am at the end of my life — I will be 82 shortly — and there are a lot of causes I believe in for which resources are not available, and there is a need to redistribute those resources."

I ain't mad at him.

I understand that Harry's no spring chicken. But couldn't he just give one of those two colleges the papers instead of auctioning them?

Why would he give them to those colleges if he could benefit a nonprofit or foundation of his choosing?

Everyone has their own non-profit. We would be better served as a community if we learn to partner with existing organizations to maximize services. Only time will tell what he will do with the money.

Who in this situation hasn't learned to partner with existing organizations? You must be referring to the Kings.

My comments were in general.

I didn't see it that way. But this is a valid point.

What I was trying to get at is that the hope is that one of the two colleges will get these new papers. Because the economy is so bad, the papers are not going to be sold and Harry still has the papers, or someone buys them and will not do the right thing and keep them for themselves instead of letting the public have them.

Well...never mind.
 

King Estate gets involved, Auction cancelled.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081211/...4dVt1xv4GVEhkF