Growing Up King: An Intimate Memoir (Paperback)

by Dexter Scott King (Author), Ralph Wiley (Author) "I felt inadequate to the task at hand, the scene before me, though my role seemed simple enough..." (more)
Key Phrases: King Center, Martin Luther King, Mon Ami (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Scott King, the youngest son of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., grew up in a world that was forever changing as a direct result of his father's life and, more importantly, of his father's death. In this memoir of his own life, King attempts to illuminate the significance of growing up under the weight of his father's legacy, struggling to live up to everything his last name has come to stand for. He sadly records his failure to finish his degree at Morehouse College, a tradition for male members of the King family going back to "Great-granddaddy A.D. Williams [who] was in the Morehouse class of 1898, the second graduating class of its existence." He recounts his first attempt to serve as president of the King Center for Non-Violent Social Change, where he was elected to the position amid controversy from the board of directors, and subsequently resigned after five months. However, King fails to take the reader on any sort of coherent emotional journey through his struggle to become a "King," and the narrative is marred by clunky transitions, uninteresting digressions and a sometimes combative tone at odds with the gravity King gives his subject matter. There are terrific accounts here of the conspiracy theories surrounding his father's assassination, the famous political and entertainment figures that have always been a part of King's circle and an extended family that helped to support and shape the children of a legend, but they are mired in tedious details that detract from the story King is trying to tell.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
The author recalls his emotional struggles until he turned back to father Martin Luther King's writings.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446692379
• ISBN-13: 978-0446692373
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,173,141 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A view into the first family of civil rights, April 16, 2009

By	James Parks "Beauvall" (Tx) - See all my reviews

I read this book a few yrs ago and can find a little of the truth behind the present day drama of the king family.
I liked Dexter's explaination of the protection of his father's intellectual property and I can get a better perspective of Dexter the man from reading this book. Dexter uses undiagnosed ADD as a reason why he couldn't complete his studies at Morehouse and why he spent years moving from occupation to occupation from Atlanta cop to Project Manager to King Center president to Actor to King Center Chair to King Estate Chair...He gives us some insight on why has yet to marry.
I came away with the view that it is tragic to allow yourself to coast off of your family's legacy without creating your own.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally their side of the story, February 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Growing Up King: An Intimate Memoir (Hardcover)

I read this book by Dexter King, but I have also read Growing Up X. There were some similarities between both books, but there were some differences also. I had heard some of the rumors and speculation about the King family trying to milk Dr. King's legacy in the monetary sense. However, Dexter does a good job of clearing things up about how much time and money is spent protecting his father's legacy due to the fact that some individuals and corporations believe and/or assume that Dr. Kings' speeches and papers are public property and can use them for monetary profit. I agree whole heartly with the King family in protecting their father's legacy including all of his speeches and writings. The thing that stood out the most to me pertaining to this issue was that we as blacks in America discount great black thinkers, intellectuals and people who take a stance in the black community. We have a belief that our black intellects work such Dr King, Malcolm X and Medgar Evers is not as valuable as compared to that of their white counter parts such as Nixon, Kennedy or Bush.

Dexter King also gives us some insight into how he grew up near housing projects in Vine City, attended a exclusive private school then public high school, and life at Morehouse. I had no ideal that Dexter's mother currently lives in Vine City, because gossips have always said she was living in a huge mansion in Buckhead. Next Dexter talks about his love life, but never gives any names but calls one serious girlfriend "Mon Ami." I would recommend this book to anyone trying to find out more about the King family.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a terrific book., January 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Growing Up King: An Intimate Memoir (Hardcover)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Growing Up King." This is a
terrific book. Not only is this book required reading for
any student of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it also brings
insights how the King Center in Atlanta is run while main-
taining its mission to spread the teachings of Dr King. There
are lessons here for any well-intentioned organization.

This book is clearly written by subject and most of the subjects
overlap chronologically.

Thank you, Dexter King!