Martin Luther King’s Kids Finally Settle On How to Cash In On Dad’s Dreams

Because having children wasn’t the norm among our gay civil rights leaders, it might be another generation or two before we see the children of those men and women squabbling over their estates. But when it comes to Martin Luther King Jr.’s kids? That’s their legacy! But finally, some common ground:

Coretta and Martin’s kids Martin Luther King III, Bernice King, and Dexter King took 15 hours yesterday to reach a settlement over how to manage their father’s assets, including his intellectual property. AJC: “Under the settlement, a third-party custodian will be brought in temporarily to run King Inc., the corporation that controls the use of their father’s papers, intellectual property and materials. The move effectively pushes aside Dexter King, who now serves as president of King Inc.”

The divide was between Martin III and Bernice (Team 1) and Dexter (Team 2) and, like most disputes, was all about money and power. As head of King Inc., Dexter wrested control of dad’s estate, and had his brother and sister claiming shady wrongdoings. After all, there are millions at stake: $32 million from the sale of Dr. King’s papers to the city of Atlanta, an $800,000 foundation licensing deal, plus movie and book deals.

If Cleve Jones moves fast, he can leave a similar legacy to his loved ones!