After a well-publicized debate, the King siblings have come to an agreement. In recent months, the surviving children of Martin Luther (Coretta Scott) King Jr. were headed to court, more recently, over their mother’s personal papers, love letters between the parents, and a $1.4 million book deal that Dexter Scott King wanted to ink with the Penguin Group for a memoir on their mother. Martin Luther King III and his baby sister Bernice dissented, stating that it went against their mother’s wishes. They also divulged that they felt they didn’t have any administrative rights in the corporation that controls their father’s legacy.
A statement from The King Center was forwarded to our office and it reads:
The children of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King have united to focus on the future of their parents’ legacy. Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King and Bernice King have come to agreement on the future direction of The King Center in Atlanta.
One of the first important decisions the siblings have made is to appoint Martin Luther King III to the role of president and chief executive officer of The King Center. The King family applauds Isaac Newton Farris Jr., outgoing president and chief executive officer, for his dedicated service and energetic commitment to The King Center.
“The King Center was established by our mother as a living memorial and the institutional guardian of our father’s legacy,” said Dexter Scott King. “Bernice, Martin and I are very excited about our shared vision. It’s the right time, and Martin is in the right place to take this great organization forward.”
“Dexter has done a tremendous job at the helm of The King Center as chairman, and I am delighted to join as president and CEO,” said Martin Luther King III. “I have dedicated my life to preserving and growing the body of work our father started more than forty years ago. I am honored to further his legacy in the 21st century, not just here in the U.S. but around the world.”
“I am proud that my brothers and I are speaking with one voice to communicate our parents’ legacy to the world,” said Bernice King.
The King Center will continue to grow and strengthen the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., both domestically and internationally, through programs that are designed to eliminate poverty, foster peace and build communities.
