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January 21, 2013 9:55 AM

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60 Minutes: Is MLK's "dream" for sale?

By: 60 Minutes Overtime Staff
Topics: 60 Rewind

On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King spoke some of the most powerful words anyone ever has. But to whom does the "I have a dream" speech" belong? You might think it belongs to all of us as a part of our national heritage. But it doesn't.

King copyrighted many of his speeches, making his words and image-- his legacy-- the private property of his widow and four children. And, as 60 Minutes first reported in 2001, the King family has aggressively pursued financial profit from their father's "dream."

(Editor's Note: Since this report aired on the broadcast in 2001, some things have changed. King's widow and his eldest daughter have passed away. But many things have stayed the same. According to David Garrow, now a professor of University of Pittsburgh Law School, neither this 60 Minutes story nor widespread denunciations have dissuaded the King family from their commercial pursuits. "It's misappropriating a civil rights legacy to advance commercial interests," says Garrow, "and if anything, it's gotten worse.")

COMMENT:

Does America literally "owe" the family of Martin Luther King for his enormous contributions and sacrifices for our country? Or do you think MLK is "spinning in his grave," as William Rutherford said in this report, at the shameless profiteering off his message of peace and justice?

NOTE: Video has expired.

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by tsigili January 21, 2013 4:25 PM EST: Everything's for sale.......to anyone foolish enough to buy it.; Reply to this comment


by ifitfloats January 21, 2013 12:37 PM EST: MLK would be very distraught today. Obama has overshadowed any message the MLK had put forth. Obama has taught blacks to hate whites, hate Republicans and conservatives no reason, Obama supports Genocide of the black race through abortion and black on black murder, while at the same time supporting illegal Latinos to take jobs from blacks and whites. I dont care how many bibles he laid his hand on, Obama is not a Christian, he has proven that! MKL was very religous to the core. Obama sees himself as the black Pres. Lincoln, but instead of freeing black people, he is enslaving all Americans and people like John Dickerson is making money hand over fist on this same hate and same agenda. Please let Biden run in 2016. That would be the icing on the cake and once America is on its knees like all the liberals want, only then can we stand up again...and Warren Buffet,go to hell.; Reply to this comment


by SurrealChaos January 21, 2013 12:00 PM EST: The issues that Harley brings to question are more appropriately brought in a different conversation.

The questions the video presents is whether or not King's speeches belong to the public, and whether or not King himself would approve of the actions of his family.

I do not think it can be overlooked or ignored that King copyrighted his speeches and writings. Why would King do that if he did not specifically intend for those works to be profitable, as an inheritance, to his family?

Those interviewed that intimate that King would be "rolling in his grave" seem to be saying so from a personal agenda of their own.

If there is any person towards whom any sense of displeasure about this situation should be directed it would be King himself.

I find it clearly obvious that the current state of affairs was clearly King's intent when he chose to copyright his works.; Reply to this comment


by pickapeck13 January 21, 2013 11:21 AM EST: I'd like to thank the 60 Minutes Overtime Staff for making up my mind for me before I even read the article or watched the video. You rule, 60 Minutes Overtime Staff!; Reply to this comment


by TomMariner January 21, 2013 11:20 AM EST: I can't make a judgment, but the facts seem to reflect the current state of some who are desperately hanging on to courageous actions and beautiful, powerful words spoken by somebody else as a way to promote themselves.

Our Martin Luther King, Jr. was Baptist, a minister, a man, black, a civil rights leader, and American so all of us can claim a piece of him and the power of his ideas that has transformed the past 50 years in the US. Just the single sentence that contains "judged by the courage of their convictions" could earn immortality. Speaking of which, all of us should mourn the fact that such a voice was ripped from us way, way too soon.; Reply to this comment


by charleskaye January 21, 2013 11:05 AM EST: MLK is rolling in his grave as the American public have blatantly judged by the color of a person's skin in electing/re-electing our current president. Certainly, American voters have not judged Obama on character. No one with character would parade a bunch of children on a stage with him, using them to manipulate the heart strings of the American public in order to further their agenda. Americans have certainly judged him on skin color. He has been labeled "black", though he is mixed race. Americans have accepted his complete failures because of his skin color. MLK is certainly rolling in his grave as his "dream" is still nothing more than a fantasy. Until American voters are able to be truly color blind and judge whom should best lead our country not by skin color, nor religious background, we will continually be saddled with the negative consequences of our skin color based decisions. Sadly, voters are more interested in how a candidate looks on TV than making decisions about their competency based on the candidate's prior examples of character.; Reply to this comment


by k.w.harris January 21, 2013 10:56 AM EST: King did not "copyright" his speeches, as with every other creative work copyright vests in the creator at the time of performance or publication. If his speeches or writings have value, it's absolutely right that he or his family have the right to control how they are used, as opposed to having any random person able to use King's speech in advertisements or to sell T-shirts or represent any viewpoint they wish.

If it belonged to "all of us", or were in the public domain, you could have the most hateful person opposed to King's work use his words out of context in a campaign ad, or in other ways. Don't know why this is so hard for some to understand.; Reply to this comment


by ppjl January 21, 2013 10:48 AM EST: Sound like you have a real chip on your shoulder. Or are you just a bigot. Hard to tell from your comments.; Reply to this comment

by mikescbsname January 21, 2013 10:47 AM EST

I love the way CBS news is allowed to profit from MLK's speeches (note all of the ads surrounding the video window), but his own family has to hold themselves to some imaginary 'higher' ethic. I think what would make MLK 'spin in his grave' is having his children and grandchildren cheated over what is rightfully theirs, his legacy. His family deserves a lot, they changed our country and the world for the better.

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by nclaw441 January 21, 2013 11:30 AM EST: I agree with your statements. I guess the "legacy belongs to all of us" argument is consistent with the liberal view regarding estates-- it all belongs to the government, or it should.


by FredianoGB January 21, 2013 10:46 AM EST: Is it for sale? Clearly. Look at these comments, as well as it's history since...

...since a time when he, as a Republican, made the speech.

Of course he was a Republican; why would he have been a member of the party of governors Faubus, Barnett, and Wallace? They were the southern state governors who had their National Guard bayonets pointed in the wrong direction. When federal troops were sent to Little Rock in the 50's to turn them around, that was a Republican president who sent them.

But since that time, MLK's Dream speech has been 'purchased' -- by the party of Faubus, Barnett and Wallace, to beat over the head of the party of MLK.

That is some rebranding effort.; Reply to this comment

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