About book Growing Up King: An Intimate Memoir (2005)
Dexter King's Memoir is a little bit rough reading at times, but because of who is writing it, and what it is all about, I enjoyed the book. It seems like there is a continuous wrestling match between Dexter the ordinary man with his alter-ego the son of MLK. It's quite a tall order, to be like dad, no matter how you place it. MLK was one of the great men of the 20th century, I think of him as the Mahatma of America. Now, Dexter was not/is not the 3rd coming of Ghandi (MLK being the 2nd). In fact, Dexter has lived a somewhat normal life, drifting in and out of the edge of the music business, working a bit in movies, having started out his career in the Atlanta police department. The son of Martin Luther King Jr.? Dexter recounts how throughout his life others, and perhaps he himself, as well, measure his life work/success against his dad. Unfair! But I enjoyed reading Dexter's account of just how hard that has been. =====================Another theme, which starts later in the book, is the King's family's questions about how dad was killed. Dexter recounts the civil trial in Memphis, with the help of William F. Pepper [_An Act Of State: The Execution of Martin Luther King_] here in his memoir. He emphasizes that this was important to him and the family, to see closure regarding his dad's murder. There were questions about: where did the shots come from? Does it make sense that James Earl Ray using an unsighted rifle. Was he thus capable of executing Dr. King with a single shot? What about other witnesses who had deeper and more complex stories than that of "James Earl Ray acted alone in shooting Dr. King?" Since I had read William F. Pepper's book sometime ago, I enjoyed hearing Dexter's angle on the trial, and reminding me of some of the issues with the "official account" of Dr. King's assassination.
Mr. King came to my bookstore for a signing. He was escorted into the store through the stockroom (where I work). I was so accustomed to celebrity authors sweeping through without even looking in my direction that I did no more than look up when the back door was unlocked and he and his entourage walked in. I expected him to be no different than any of the others. But he surprised me. Not only did he greet me, but he stopped to say hello. He asked a few questions about what I did and how I liked it. Then he smiled and said that it had been nice to meet me. After he was gone, I continued working. When I got off (several hours later), I saw that he was still in a corner of the store, signing his book. I got in line. I made it up to the front in about 45 minutes. The Community Resource Manager of our store took the book I was holding and reminded me that she would have gotten a book signed for me had I mentioned it. No, I answered, if Mr. King could take a few minutes to stop for me, I could take a few minutes to stop for him. He looked up from the book, surprised. I said that he had been the first author deemed important enough to be brought in through a secured entrance who had ever acknowledged my existence... and that he was the first of them whose book I would purchase. His response? You look different without your apron. And thank you.
Do You like book Growing Up King: An Intimate Memoir (2005)?
Great memoir by Dr. King's son, Dexter, who is a man in his own right who has done many things, and does not need to live in the shadow of his father. However, he is his father's son, and seeks justice, truth and beauty in all of life, and though he doesn't seem to see the connections all the time, it is interesting how God is working through his life and continues to work. It also gives an interesting look into a family who has to deal with nitty gritty details, and made me understand the copyright/trademark, etc, more. Though people think they're in it for the money, (again a stereotype..) they're just trying to be normal folk!
—Jeff
