Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

MLK Children Fight Over Estate

Family dispute over civil rights hero's estate goes public

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 12, 2008 7:36 AM CDT

(Newser) – Two of Martin Luther King Jr.'s three surviving children are taking their brother to court, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Bernice and Martin King III say Dexter, president of the corporation that oversees the civil rights hero's intellectual property rights, has mishandled company funds and wrongfully taken money from their parents' estates for his own use.

An attorney for the siblings said Dexter had denied them information on how the corporation has been handling its assets, which include the $32 million Atlanta paid for King's papers in 2006. Dexter said he was disappointed that the family dispute had gone public. "It is my hope that this inappropriate and false claim by my siblings will be swiftly resolved and we can go about the business of focusing on our parents' tremendous legacy," he said.

Bernice King, left, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., speaks during The Dream Concert at Radio City Music Hall Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2007 in New York.
Bernice King, left, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., speaks during The Dream Concert at Radio City Music Hall Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2007 in New York.   (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
Bernice King hugs her brother Dexter King, left, as her brother Martin Luther King III looks on during a memorial service for their older sister, Yolanda King, in Atlanta, Thursday, May 24, 2007.
Bernice King hugs her brother Dexter King, left, as her brother Martin Luther King III looks on during a memorial service for their older sister, Yolanda King, in Atlanta, Thursday, May 24, 2007.   (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
From left, Dexter Scott King, Rev. Bernice King, and Martin Luther King III  react during a musical tribute to their mother at the new Ebenezer Church 06 February, 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia.
From left, Dexter Scott King, Rev. Bernice King, and Martin Luther King III react during a musical tribute to their mother at the new Ebenezer Church 06 February, 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia.   (Getty Images)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

MLK Children: Lawsuit Defends Dad's Legacy

MLK's Kids Fight Over Letters

My Dad, MLK, Would Back Glenn Beck's Right to Rally

Fortune of Asia's Richest Woman Goes to Charity

King's Daughter to Head SCLC


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne