The daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., Bernice King, does not want to sell her father’s Nobel Peace Prize and Bible. “These two artifacts are too sacred to be sold or be bought under any circumstance,” she said. However, her brothers, Martin Luther King III and Dexter King, are taking her to court over the two possessions, which they want to sell through the King Estate. Ms. King is being legally forced to hand over the items to the Fulton County Superior Court until the court case is heard on September 29. (Worth millions, the items will be located in an undisclosed safety deposit box.)
President Obama used the Bibles of Dr. Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln when he was sworn in for his second term in January 2013. Two weeks prior to the swearing in, Dexter King said: “Including my father’s Bible in the swearing-in ceremony speaks to the great progress we’ve made as a country. As we move forward as a nation, I know that we’ll continue to make great strides in the fight for equality and freedom for all. My father was a man of God, of love and of peace. I hope the presence of his Bible will provide similar inspiration to the American people as we celebrate the inauguration of our president.” Presumably this eloquent testimony will be included in the catalog, if the King brothers prevail and the good book goes on the auction block.
From the Rolex Magazine Blog: “On December 10, 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., became the youngest person to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize and in the photo (above), you see Dr. King holding his coveted Nobel Peace Prize medallion in his hand, and if you click on the image and look closely, you see him wearing his trademark yellow gold Rolex Datejust on his wrist.”
Note: A replica of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Nobel Prize for Peace is on exhibit at The King Center.
