As I posted on June 9, Sotheby’s will be auctioning the Marting Luther King, Jr. Collection on beginning on June 30. That said, I was not surprised to read this article in today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution which discusses the potential buyers for the King Collection. Former Atlanta mayor, and personal friend of King, Andrew Young has pretty much issued a challenge to the city of Atlanta to purchase the papers, saying “This is a cheap city if it does not come up with enough money to keep that heritage here.”
I was actually surprised to find out that the collection hadn’t been left to Morehouse College (King’s Alma Mater) or added to the items that are kept at the King Center. Where the collection will end up; however, remains to be seen.
Photos of some of the items in the collection can be viewed here. Readers, where would you like to see the collection end up?
life beyond the well... 
June 13, 2006 at 12:20 am
I love Andrew Young. He’s frat, he’s a grey’s anatomy fan and he’s internationally sociologically mindful, but he’s kinda wrong here. Unless he has seen the ATL’s budget and knows that the city has the funds for this, he shouldn’t disrespect the mayor like that. ATL NEEDS better schools. They NEED better public transportation. They NEED better HIV/AIDS resources. They do not need one more piece of memorabilia to know that King was king.
Wouldn’t it be great if someone bought it and put it on display at the Stone Center?!
June 13, 2006 at 2:50 am
LOL, Gene, I’m a big Andrew Young fan too. And I thought it was interesting that he made that comment. You’re right, there are a lot of things that ATL needs, or that ATL can take care of for the state of Georgia before adding some more King memorabilia to the mix.
I think it would be FABULOUS if someone bought it and put it on display at the Stone Center- but I honestly couldn’t see that happening for lots of reasons…but having a collection like that at UNC in addition to the Southern Historical Collection would be tight.
June 13, 2006 at 2:28 pm
i would like to see it stay in A-town…me personally in his memorial…
June 13, 2006 at 8:37 pm
I don’t think the King Center needs it because I think we do our history an injustice when we allow it all to be stored in one place. It prevents thousands, maybe even millions, of people from learning our story. I am willing to bet that the average ATLien can name 11 facts about MLK without blinking. Other people need to have the opportunity to do the same.
I’m also opposed to all of our stuff being in “black” museums. Why can’t King’s stuff be in the National Museum of History or something like that? The truth is that some people will NEVER go the King Center or other civil rights museums, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t need to hear our story.
It’s like with faith. God’s word has to be shared outside of the church if the masses are going to hear it. Because we know that some folks just ain’t getting up on Sunday morning.
June 14, 2006 at 2:19 am
11 facts, Gene…LOL at the use of the number 11- and I think you know why.
I think I’d love to see the King Collection be a traveling exhibit- of course there’d have to be extra care taken to ensure that all of the items are taken care of; but I think it would be good for the exhibit to make it to places that we might not expect to see it: Montana, Arizona, Wisconsin, etc.
June 14, 2006 at 3:55 pm
you know how i do 😉
yeah, that would be tight Erin. Because the press would be forced to write about it, and at the very least, schools would take their students.