Martin Luther King, Jr Papers for Sale

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports that Sotheby's in New York plans to auction more than 10,000 manuscripts and books written by Martin Luther King Jr. on June 30. Dr. King was the face and the force behind the Civil Rights Movement from the Birmingham Bus Boycott through the signing of the Civil Rights Act by President Lyndon B. Johnson. These documents by Dr. King are easily some of the most important papers produced during the 20th century. The plan is to raise between $15 and $20 million from the sale.

plez sez: I only hope that this information will finally be put in the public domain. The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. transcends any gain by the family and I only hope that one day my daughter will be able to see, touch, and read what was written by Dr. King in his handwriting. These treasures deserve a public audience on par with the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence.

And with the money, maybe the King Family will get their collective act together to save the King Center for Nonviolent Change and turn that place into a world class museum about the civil rights movement.