Being the eldest son of a legendary civil rights activist is not an easy job, and are tough shoes to fill. Many have accused Martin Luther King III of lacking in following his father’s image. King III’s fight for equality has been deemed inadequate and minimal. His early career paths constantly ended in disappointment for those who thought he would pick up right where his father left off. Fulton County in the state of Georgia elected Martin Luther King III as their President at a young age of thirty. He served for only six years. The reasoning was later acknowledged in his debt of over $200,000 dollars to the federal government in both taxes and fines. However, King III received another chance to prove his worthiness as a president.
In 1997 at the age of forty, King III was elected President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization founded by his father, Martin Luther King, Jr., to aid in the fight for civil rights. Sadly, King III did not withhold his heightened position. Within mere months of his inauguration, he was criticized for his inactivity. The board argued that issues of previous dominion were no longer situations fought upon by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, now that King III was president. These drastic changes in the efforts of the organization were not positive ones and resulted in suspension of King III’s elected position in June of 2001.
After promising to be more active and forefront as president, King III was reinstated only a week later. His promises were followed through and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference fought for the issues that were deemed important. In fact, King III came back into office more than ready to fight for issues such as racial profiling, prisoners’ rights, and closing the divide between blacks and whites. His new “on-fire” behavior was infectious and productive.
Although there are many cases against King’s affectiveness, he did lead successful campaigns during his time with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He held hearings on police brutality, organized a rally for the 37th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech, and successfully rallied to change the Georgia state flag, which previously included a large Confederate cross.
King III has also founded his own organization called Realizing the Dream. The web page devoted to Realizing the Dream defines it as “[a] non-profit organization that continues the humanitarian and liberating work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King.” Realizing the Dream has visions at both the national level as well as the global level. King III puts a great deal of focus on the children of today, their leadership skills, and their ability to live out their dreams, which is an important influence seeing as how the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow.
King III has not filled his father’s shoes; he has created his own pair that walk their own path. This path is similar to his father, but not the same. Martin Luther King III has different views and opinions than his father, most of which deal with the extent to which actions should be carried out. Despite what critics have to say about him and his “inadequate” efforts towards civil rights, King III is a civil rights activist who has accomplished much in his lifetime, and he was, without a doubt, an excellent pick for this year’s Celebration of Peace event.
By Mya Ervin, editor-in-chief
