Martin Luther King III Speaks

Phyllis Fletcher
01/24/2006

Martin Luther King III says he’ll do what he can to make sure King County can use his father’s image as its logo. The King family hasn’t officially given its blessing. King doesn’t know why. But the King family, like any other, doesn’t agree on everything. KUOW’s Phyllis Fletcher has more.

MARTIN LUTHER KING THE THIRD CAME TO TOWN TO SPEAK AT EDMONDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE. AT A PRESS CONFERENCE, KING SAID HE’LL HAVE TO GO BACK TO ATLANTA, WHERE HIS FAMILY LIVES, TO FIND OUT WHAT MIGHT BE HOLDING UP APPROVAL FOR THE NEW KING COUNTY LOGO. KING SAYS HE MET WITH A COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER WHILE HE WAS HERE.

KING: “And he asked me if I could help get it expedited from our end. And I certainly said that whatever we need to do, we will work to get done. I think it’s certainly a great honor.”

A PLAN TO BRING THE NEW LOGO TO A VOTE OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL HIT A WALL EARLIER THIS MONTH. THE FACT THAT THE KING FAMILY HADN’T OFFICIALLY GRANTED ITS APPROVAL WAS A CONCERN.

THE CHILDREN OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JUNIOR AND CORETTA SCOTT KING HAVE PUBLICLY SQUABBLED IN RECENT MONTHS OVER THEIR FATHER’S LEGACY. ONE AREA WHERE THEY HAVEN’T PRESENTED A UNITED FRONT IS THAT OF GAY RIGHTS. MARTIN LUTHER KING THE THIRD SAYS HE’S NOT SURE HOW HE FEELS WHEN PEOPLE INVOKE HIS FATHER’S NAME IN A CALL FOR GAY MARRIAGE—AS KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE RON SIMS DID AT A KING-DAY EVENT LAST WEEK.

KING: “That’s a tough one for me personally, because I don’t really know how he would answer that. I don’t know where he would f—I know that he would never want anyone’s rights to be denied. I almost feel he would be an advocate for partnerships. I just don’t know about marriage. I don’t—-I mean, but again, it’s not my responsibility or his to stand in the way of what people want to do provided they’re not hurting anyone else.”

KING ADMITS HIS SISTER WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT TAKE. BERNICE KING LED A MARCH AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE IN ATLANTA LAST MONTH.

AS FOR THE LOGO CHANGE, COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER LARRY GOSSETT HAS A PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD REGARDLESS OF WHETHER HE OFFICIALLY HEARS FROM THE KING FAMILY. A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE COUNTY COUNCIL SAYS GOSSETT WILL TRY TO PUT THE MEASURE UP FOR A VOTE AGAIN NEXT YEAR. PHYLLIS FLETCHER, KUOW NEWS.

© Copyright 2006, KUOW