MLKs Papers to be Auctioned

[spr06diva]

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

[Shauntelle]

Originally Posted by spr06diva

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.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by nonchalant

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.

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.

[SummerChild]

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

Originally Posted by ZetaStorm

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.

[AKA2D '91]

Originally Posted by TonyB06

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.

Cingular commercial?

[TonyB06]

Originally Posted by AKA2D '91

Cingular commercial?

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.

No one else remembers seeing this?

[mccoyred]

Originally Posted by TonyB06

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.

No one else remembers seeing this?

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

[ZetaStorm]

Originally Posted by SummerChild

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

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.

[InterestedN1911]

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.

[He HATE Me]

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!

[jitterbug13]

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.

[jitterbug13]

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.

[Senusret I]

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.

[jitterbug13]

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?

[Senusret I]

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