Precious Parts of King Legacy Put Up For Sale

Update:

Auction was called off.... Audio Report Here

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The King family is offering Dr. Kings papers & other memorabilia for sale to private buyers.

How can the family so easily commodify their history, Black history, and in fact American history in this way? There are other ways to make money.

I think that if Dr. King were alive today he would not approve of this idea. It goes against what he taught. So in a sense, the family is not only selling out key parts of Americas history, but they are also contradicting the legacy itself. How ironic.

To me this cheapens Civil Rights history. Apparently the family had opportunities to sell the material to the Federal government or to solid institutions where the material would have been preserved, but they never made it happen because there was not enough money in it for them and they couldn't maintain control of the copyrights.

Some compare King to a Rock star like Elvis, saying that the families of Rock stars, movie stars, and famous athletes sold the memorabilia of their loved ones.... As if King is somehow on this same level. Once again..... cheapening the legacy. King was not a Rock Star or Football Player. He was the leader of a people. We are talking Moses, Abraham, Gandhi, George Washington, etc etc etc... There is a different standard here. I don't see other people around the world so eager to commercialize their history and sell it off. And this was done so quickly... I know it's the decision of a private family...but it happened with no debate at all.

And what I really want to know is..... where are all of these clowns in modern Pop culture who have all of these millions? They can't be found when it relates to something real. They'll even allow their heritage to be sold off.... And they'd probably sell their own Souls too.... if it meant some sort of fame for them.

But when it comes to something stupid like "Bling Bling" nonsense... you see them cheesing for the cameras, posing and the whole nine yards. It's sickening. And i'm talking about all of these rich NBA & NFL players, movie stars, rappers, R&B "artists" (have to use the term "artist" loosely).... all of them. Where are they??? If it's car rims, or something else senseless & ignorant, they are there... no problem. But the selling of their legacy?.... There is hardly a response. And the same goes for these Black CEO's, Doctors and lawyers. Many of them are detached from struggle. They are enjoying the fruits from the trees that King planted, but most couldn't care less about King today..... after riding to success on the back of King and others.

This is why most of them are a waste of time and good oxygen, the entertainers in particular. We will see if they can deliver. Bidding for the auction began yesterday, Wednesday June 21st. But based on past history regarding this kind of issue, i'm not going to hold my breath.

You can't count on Black folks to be outraged about much of anything these days..... But they'll march for R. Kelly and Tookie Williams. .....Sad!

I stopped trying to rationalize the situation in Black America some time ago.


Audio stories from Ed Gordon found here, and here.

Story from June 22nd.

Earlier Ed Gordon Discussion.



The African American Political Pundit is also covering the story.