A Friend Stopped By | 12/12/2008 9:00 am

Margo Howard: Judging MLK's Kids by the Content of Their Character

Editor’s Note: A longtime journalist, Margo Howard went into the family business (her mother was the fabled Ann Landers) in the 1990s as Dear Prudence. Her broad experience and understanding of human nature provide answers for the troubled — and entertainment for everyone else. Click here to read her column on Yahoo!

Martin Luther King’s children are skating very close to the edge.

This latest dust-up with Harry Belafonte makes them look like money-runners who seem to think that everything and anything that had to do with their father should put cash in their pockets. And this is not the first public occasion where they have displayed cupidity. They are already suing each other — there have been suits in the past regarding where MLK’s papers should reside, and they show no sign of letting up.

Harry Belafonte, a great civil-rights figure himself, was given some notes by his friend, Martin Luther King, one set of which had been written in his home. Belafonte had planned to auction them at Sotheby’s because, he told a reporter, he is in his 80s with probably a limited amount of time left. He wanted to give the proceeds to some worthy causes. It seems to me that when someone gives you something, it is yours. Apparently the King “children” don’t care how things look and decided anything and everything written by their father is theirs. So they sued to stop this most recent sale, and Belafonte withdrew the items from Sotheby’s.

I don’t know for sure, but I am guessing their father would be appalled, since he did not get into his line of work so the family could be rich. (Added to which, historians are worried about the condition of the papers in Atlanta held by the MLK Foundation.)

Dr. King’s widow, Coretta, may have helped her children feel entitled. Her feeling was that the philanthropists who supported MLK in his lifetime should continue their gifts to her. (Not all of them agreed. I know at least one couple who declined to continue their support, and that was the end of the friendship.)

In any case, I suspect the King progeny are past caring about public appearances, but it would be nice if some family friend would tell them everything to do with Dr. King need not be a money-making proposition for them.

I feel certain that that was not Dr. King’s dream.

35 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

An relatives, even immediate relatives—the bane of famous men in too many cases. Belafonte has every right to put those notes up for auction. The King kids should butt out/

By f p on 12/12/2008 8:46 am

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I did not know about this. What a shame! And shame on those children. Money has a way of creeping into so many nooks and crannies resulting in a lot of crooks and hubristic individuals seeking the Midas touch. It’s sad.

By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 12/12/2008 8:48 am

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Phyllis, Family feuds over money, involving celebrities and other prominent individuals is not uncommon. And, I agree. “Money has a way of … resulting in a lot of crooks … seeking the Midas touch.” Last fall (2007) I read, SWEET AND LOW: A FAMILY STORY, by Rich Cohen. It was an amazing account of how a family was ruined because of jealousy, manipulation, and greed. Although the motives of Cohen’s characters were somewhat different than that of the King siblings/family, I predict that in the end the family will be destroyed, and that, “the content of their character,” as Margo has stated, will forever be tarnished. Indeed, “What a shame!”

By Maizie James on 12/12/2008 4:21 pm

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Talk about gold diggers. I too didn’t know about this. It’s a shame that the children got the wrong message and now only think Money, money, money. Because of this they will end up poor in the soul.

By Grande Camper on 12/12/2008 10:04 am

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I think you hit it right on the head, Margo. Their mother, unfortunately, put this sense of entitlement into their heads by her actions after MLK’s death. It’s sad.

By Lorraine Bates on 12/12/2008 10:28 am

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I agree with you Margo—I watched something about the family feud early this year, and have read about it on and off—-as they sue each other and divide…. Family ‘politics’ is never very pretty—-but what makes this sickening, is that they are ‘seemingly’ forgetting the message of their father—and ‘acting out’ in a way that is totally opposite his message. One is Entilted to have equal opportunity to actualize themselves to the fullest—but one is not entitled to usurp the bounty of an other, ‘just because’. Of course, we all try and understand—-maybe they felt neglected growing up—insecure, and are trying to find themselves within these papers…..they need a shrink—to help them understand why they feel the need to have everybody else’s memories…………………….

By Patty E on 12/12/2008 10:42 am

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Margo, Your article is timely for me, given that I just had a conversation surrounding this topic with a business associate. It came up as an off-chute of a discussion about Caroline Kennedy, the Kennedy name and legacy, and the issue of entitlement. As it relates to MLK’s kids, I have long held the opinion they seem steeped in the belief of entitlement because of “who” their father was and meant to our country. The person I was debating this with argued that the Kennedy’s made a profit off of JFK’s name and legacy, why not the children of MLK? I may have my facts wrong but from my understanding the Kennedy’s all started off with wealth. JFK was one of our wealthiest presidents and donated his entire salary from being our president to charity. Through business ventures and their respective professions, and of course inheritance, they added to that vast wealth. They didn’t choose or engage in the selling off of the Kennedy name for profit like MLK’s children insist on doing. And to that last point that speaks to the lack of what their father so eloquently spoke about, that being “one’s Character”. We all operate in life under our own moral compass and strength of character. What does it say about a man who so profoundly changed our nation, that his own children aren’t satisfied to stand on their own education, skills and achievements to acquire wealth? Why must they take the easy and less respectable route toward wealth by selling off writings of their father that have historic meaning and standing in our country. Do they not understand the magnitude and depth of his input in framing those transformative years for us? To cheapen it and essential place all of that up to the highest bidder for their profit is sickening. Indeed Margo, what would their father think? What should we all think? To know that he failed as did Corretta in teaching them the very lessons he taught the rest of our nation. We collectively got the message yet his very own children did not. How sad.

By Belinda Joy on 12/12/2008 11:00 am

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Belinda, Joe Kennedy (father of Ted, Robert, John, etc) made his money from bootlegging. It was dirty money and dirty politics that led to the Kennedy dynasty.

By Marilyn Rick on 12/15/2008 10:01 am

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Wow…what an opinion. True he did make his money on bootlegging but does that equate to John Kennedy’s ability to run for office and then serve in the short time he did to our nations benefit, as “dirty politics” ? I would disagree. You need to seriously rethink your negative view of a President who contributed greatly to our history. You sound narrow minded.

By Belinda Joy on 12/15/2008 12:21 pm

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Belinda, From your picture, I would guess that you are a young black woman who did not live through the Kennedy era but bought into the Kennedy myth instead. Money, media, and the mob all helped contribute to John F Kennedy’s ascension as president. Kennedy won the 1960 election against Nixon, i.e., stole that election, through dirty politics bought by the dirty money Joe Kennedy, Sr. made through bootlegging. At one time, Joe Kennedy, Sr. was one of the 20 richest men in America, thanks to his one-time partnership with Sam Giaconna, head of the Chicago mob, in his bootlegging business. Sam Giaconna (along with the first Chicago Mayor Richard Daley) delivered the votes for Kennedy in Illinois (Kennedy won by 9,000 votes) while other undue and illegal influences delivered the Texas electoral votes for John Kennedy. The 51 combined delegate votes of these two states cost Richard Nixon the election. Nixon, rather than fight for what was his, decided the cost to America’s standing in the world if he fought the results was more important than his being president and declined to protest the election results (unlike Al Gore). Dirty money from bootlegging also allowed Joe Kennedy, Sr. to make “contributions” to publishers and editors so they would support Kennedy and write positive stories about Kennedy. “Contributions” were also made to politicians across the country for their support (bought support). After the election, Sam Giaconna, was pissed off that John Kennedy didn’t give him the “thanks” he felt he deserved. Frank Sinatra was also tied to the Kennedy election scandal and was equally pissed off when he wasn’t invited to the White House despite using his own mob influences to help Kennedy win. John Kennedy’s tie-in to Sam Giaconna also included a long-time adulterous affair with Giaconna’s mistress, Judith Campbell Exner. Some even claim that John Kennedy’s long sexual liaison with Exner was “true love.” As to your hero, John F. Kennedy, it was US Attorney General Robert Kennedy—with the permission of his brother, the president—who authorized J. Edgar Hoover to bug the office and home of Martin Luther King in order to get dirt on King after his “I Have a Dream Speech”. If you recall from recent history, Hillary Clinton was severely criticized during her campaign for president for stating that blacks had Lyndon Johnson to thank for their civil rights and voting rights and progress (words to that effect). Hillary, who lived about 20 miles from me (both of us in Cook County) lived through the Kennedy era with me. Hillary was correct in her remarks as was I in my posting. Lyndon Johnson was a true hero, not only for black Americans, but for all Americans. Sorry to burst your bubble, but Kennedy really didn’t accomplish anything of significance unless one wants to include almost getting the US into a war with Fidel Castro over his “Bay of Pigs” fiasco. Kennedy’s assassination made him a hero—not a great president. Johnson was a great president. This is just my opinion, based on facts. You have an equal right to your opinion. I just have the advantage of having been there.

By Marilyn Rick on 12/15/2008 6:43 pm

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Marilyn, First of all thank you for the compliment about my appearance coming across as young. I realize it wasn’t meant as a compliment and more than likely sarcasm, so I will respond in kind. My avatar is a professional (very airbrushed) photo used for my voice-over career. However my age has absolutely nothing to do with how I interpret the Kennedy’s. I was alive during the Clinton administration and as I am sure you’ve noticed from this website the venom and hostility that most have about Bill Clinton. However although I don’t respect him as a man, I do however respect the job he did as our president. I have nothing but positive things to say about his administration and how he will be viewed in the history books. Your view of the Kennedy’s is skewed by “your” interpretation of the facts. I however don’t agree with your view of their actions, and I was just a young child when President Kennedy was alive and in office. But then again as I have illustrated by way of Clinton, I didn’t have to be. Just because you were there doesn’t mean your assessment of the Kennedy family is the gospel. Like you said it’s just your opinion, and in my opinion you are dead wrong. You come across as one of those people who rails against the Kennedy’s because of their name and the admiration that you feel is unwarranted. None of the information you’ve provided to supposedly substantiate your opinion is valid in my eyes. But then again it doesn’t matter.

By Belinda Joy on 12/15/2008 7:13 pm

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Belinda, my comment about your appearing to be a young black woman was merely an observation on my part. I never thought that you would consider that a simple, empirical, and honest observation on my part was a compliment, an insult, or sarcasm. All your conclusions are unwarranted. Don’t let your biases against people who disagree with you distort your perceptions. I can’t understand how you, as a black woman, wouldn’t be offended by your hero and his brother authorizing J. Edgar Hoover to conduct wiretaps on Martin Luther King. I am a white woman and I am offended.by that. This is a historical fact as are all the other facts I mentioned in my posting. Opinions supported by facts have more weight than opinions based solely on perceptions and wishful thinking. If wishes were horses, all beggars would ride. I have nothing against the Kennedys. Do I think Caroline Kennedy should be US Senator from NY? No—not when much more qualified candidates exist. Do I think that all the Kennedy men were amoral sexists who used women? Yes. Was Ted Kennedy a good senator? Yes, from what I know. I voted for President Clinton both times. If he weren’t restricted by our Constitution from running for a third term, I would have considered voting for him again absent my own personal knowledge of something that occurred during his administration and if there was no viable Republican candidate. Note: I said personnel knowledge, not opinion. The presidency is a gift from the American people yet most presidents tend to act like they are a gift to the American people. Presidents live lives better than most kings and/or queens. They have an opportunity to shape history, steer the future course of America, be recorded forever in history books, and acquire abundant wealth after leaving office. What bothers me most about Clinton is that he couldn’t keep his zipper up for eight years in exchange for the gift of the Presidency from the American people. Keeping his zipper zipped wasn’t asking that much from him. President Clinton insulted his office and all of us by his own selfishness. I could never insult you the way he did.

By Marilyn Rick on 12/15/2008 8:17 pm

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“I can’t understand how you, as a black woman, wouldn’t be offended by your hero and his brother authorizing J. Edgar Hoover to conduct wiretaps on Martin Luther King.” As a Black woman if I were to be offended by every objectionable action by our (up to now) White Presidents, there would not be one that I could say I respected. It comes with maturity and a strong sense of self that I can look beyond the actions of Whites that are offensive to Blacks. If I didn’t have that internal strength I wouldn’t be able to associate with any White person. I have learned that in life you must separate and keep in perspective a person’s actions from the totality of their being. I am the type of person that tries to immerse myself in news and history. Partly because I prefer to understand what is going on in the world around me. And to a larger extent when I speak, I would prefer that what is spoken comes across as intelligent and well informed. My exchange with you has transformed in something that it should not have, and for my part in it I apologize. Contrary to what you believe, my opinion of the Kennedy’s is not “based solely on perceptions and wishful thinking.” You can attempt to insult my intelligence to your hearts desire. Like you, I am well aware of the facts surrounding the Kennedy family. Once again it comes down to personal perception of the facts provided. You define the Kennedy men as amoral, sexist and men who used women. I disagree. They strike me as men who had a penchant for women and were surrounded by grown women who openly engaged in consensual sex and relationships with them. How you can construe that as amoral, sexist or using these women falls again into the category of you interpreting facts differently than myself. So the bottom line as I see it is there are some Kennedy’s you say you like. Bill Clinton is someone you voted for twice. And your comment “From your picture, I would guess that you are a young black woman who did not live through the Kennedy era but bought into the Kennedy myth instead.” I was not supposed to have interpreted as an insult or lack of intelligence (as in “you’re so stupid to have bought into the Kennedy myth), compliment or sarcasm. Points taken.

By Belinda Joy on 12/15/2008 9:14 pm

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Belinda, Belinda, as to your quote: “It comes with maturity and a strong sense of self that I can look beyond the actions of Whites that are offensive to Blacks. If I didn’t have that internal strength I wouldn’t be able to associate with any White person.”. Wow. Quite a comment. No wonder you are so defensive. My family and I are and have never been responsible for any claimed injustices you and your family may have suffered.

By Marilyn Rick on 12/16/2008 5:47 am

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Belinda, As to Caroline Kennedy, whom I believe to be the epitome of a low maintenance VIP and one who has excelled on her own in her selected areas of interest, has the right to pursuit any goal she chooses. She did not choose the family into which she was born. I have never felt she has demonstrated any sense of entitlement in her public statements or behavior. Thus she is not (for me) demonstrating a sense of entitlement, if she decides to pursue a political career at this stage of her life. My have assumed your discussion grew out of this talk about her running for HC’s Senate seat. The King children are at risk of being seen as unsophisticated boors incapable of making their own way in life by the world. The disaster that is the effort to build an MLK Memorial is a joke. I use the term unsophisticated as it relates to their wholly incompetent attempts to raise money for the memorial with nary a clue about how to approach those who regularly give millions to charitable causes. I am alternatively disgusted and saddened by their inability to admit their limitations and turn this project over someone with world class skills. I don’t think Martin failed in raising them. Though he was clearly not around as much as he perhaps would have liked. It is my experience that it was their mother who really raised them and who has had a sense of entitlement all of her life and particularly so after Martin’s death. I suspect they have little respect for Harry Belafonte because they were so young and knew little of his relationship with their father first hand. I also suspect they want all MLK artifacts to go into this memorial if it is ever completed. Again, there is never a guarantee that the apples will fall close to the tree.

By Victoria J on 12/15/2008 12:33 pm