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MLK CONFESSED TO WIFE (book: told hospitalized Coretta about extramarital affair)
NY POST ^ | January 2, 2006 | LEONARD GREENE

Posted on 01/02/2006 3:28:43 AM PST by Liz

Depressed over the civil-rights movement's direction and burdened by premonitions of his own murder, King told his wife of a mistress in 1968 as Coretta Scott King recovered from surgery for a tumor.

"He disclosed to her the one mistress who meant most to him since 1963," writes author Taylor Branch, "a married alumna of Fisk [University], of dignified bearing like Coretta, but different." In his new book, "At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-1968,"

Branch said the affair had the intensity of a second marriage. Confidante Ralph David Abernathy's wife, Juanita, was furious that "King had picked Coretta's most vulnerable moment" to "ambush her sanctuary of willful, silent discretion."

The supposed confession is one of several details from King's life excerpted in this week's Time magazine.

In one exchange with subordinates, King browbeats staffers of his Southern Christian Leadership Conference who disagreed with his decision to back a Memphis sanitation strike — a campaign that would ultimately get him killed.

He saved his most scathing remarks for Jesse Jackson, the man who most prominently took up his mantle. "If you want to carve out your own niche in society, go ahead," King screamed at the young upstart. "But for God's sake, don't bother me."

leonard.greene@nypost.com

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: adultery; atcanaansedge; bookreview; mlk; taylorbranch
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To: dpa5923
It doesn't matter who was the master, slavery is evil and wrong. I know of no man who would want to be a slave for the "right" owner.

Hey there brain surgeon, easy with the scalpel.

No one is defending slavery, it was as wrong as Affirmative Action is now.

I am sure you realize that all who had slaves did not treat them exactly the same.

61 posted on 01/02/2006 10:53:26 AM PST by Mark was here (How can they be called "Homeless" if their home is a field?.)
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To: mlc9852

Men are pigs.


62 posted on 01/02/2006 11:00:12 AM PST by brwnsuga (Proud, Black, Conservative!)
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To: durasell
"Not at all. But all men are flawed."

We are all flawed in some way or another. I've become old enough to be able to admit that the good that a man does CAN be viewed separately from his private deceit of the extra-marital variety, for example.

The real problem, in my view, that the left has about disclosing King's extracurricular activities is that they feed directly into certain, shall we say (then) long-held stereotypes about black men.

Switching topics, black America ought to have been OUTRAGED about the "First Black President" Bull about Klintoon. Why? Well (besides the obvious), let's look at the 'Toon: a skirt-chasing, lying, drug using, over-sexed rapist, perjurer, organized criminal, liar and grifter. (I may have forgotten a few things, I know.)

It don't take a genius to see that much of said behavior fits 'like a glove' into some of the oldest, vilest stereotypes about black men. Oh irony of ironies. But since liberalism has trumped 'blackness' within the LIBERAL black American community, this point was either lost on (or ignored by) the likes of Tony whats-er-name who first came up with this ludicrous moniker for the 'Toon.

63 posted on 01/02/2006 11:05:48 AM PST by Al Simmons ('A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user' - Theodore Roosevelt)
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To: savedbygrace; Grampa Dave
The New York Times will be calling for excoriation and jail time for whoever leaked this.

And well they should-----LOL.

64 posted on 01/02/2006 11:09:22 AM PST by Liz (You may not be interested in politics; doesn't mean politics isn't interested in you. Pericles)
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To: El Gato

But the media didn't cover for Clinton.


65 posted on 01/02/2006 12:30:40 PM PST by mlc9852
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To: Al Simmons

We are all flawed in some way or another. I've become old enough to be able to admit that the good that a man does CAN be viewed separately from his private deceit of the extra-marital variety, for example.




Sometimes I just wish that when it comes to historical figures that the flaws were more interesting. Great men kinda deserve interesting flaws. But what they get is just the old garden variety type.


66 posted on 01/02/2006 12:44:11 PM PST by durasell (!)
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To: Liz


"Quick, smear some blood on me - there's a man over there with a camera!"
67 posted on 01/02/2006 12:45:20 PM PST by reagan_fanatic (Darwinism is a belief in the meaninglessness of existence - R. Kirk)
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To: wtp7

My beef with the Washington and Jefferson slave thing as well as other faults -- along with MLK and his faults -- is that the flaws become the focus. My way of looking at historical figures is to look at the accomplishments, then look at the guy. When you see the faults you should go, "Holy crap, they were just these guys, not gods, but lookit what they did!"


68 posted on 01/02/2006 12:55:54 PM PST by durasell (!)
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To: reagan_fanatic

That picture was photoshopped - nobody's eyes can be THAT far apart - it makes him look like the "fish" general from Star Wars...


69 posted on 01/02/2006 1:02:44 PM PST by Al Simmons ('A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user' - Theodore Roosevelt)
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To: durasell

No one who doesn't know the South of the '50s, can realize what pressure King was living under. He could have been murdered at any moment. Yet he didn't quit. And my guess is that his wife already knew about the "other" woman. He was confessing his sin to the one whom he had most offended. He was not saintly, but he was a brave, brave man. I am remind of Graham Greene's whiskey priest.


70 posted on 01/02/2006 1:04:33 PM PST by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: durasell

This is the way that they look at all western history. They see nothing except the bad things, but accept as a matter of right all the good consequences.


71 posted on 01/02/2006 1:08:28 PM PST by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: RobbyS

Yeah, reminds me why I love my country's history.


72 posted on 01/02/2006 1:11:11 PM PST by durasell (!)
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To: RobbyS

This is the way that they look at all western history. They see nothing except the bad things, but accept as a matter of right all the good consequences.



It's the "Grant Was a Drunk Who Soldiered" School of History.


73 posted on 01/02/2006 1:15:28 PM PST by durasell (!)
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To: durasell

Have you read "April, 1865"? God, what this country owes to Grant, Lee, Sherman and Johnston. Among them they made the peace. I can see how bad it might have been by looking at the history of Reconstruction.


74 posted on 01/02/2006 1:20:28 PM PST by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: RobbyS

My favorite Civil War/reconstruction book is Lincoln at Gettysburg.


Here's a theory I have -- could it be that movies, pop culture have set us up to want/demand "perfect" people for our heroes when no perfect people exist (except, of course, for myself).


75 posted on 01/02/2006 1:24:15 PM PST by durasell (!)
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To: RobbyS
And my guess is that his wife already knew about the "other" woman. He was confessing his sin to the one whom he had most offended.

It was "other" women. Looks like he was just another "do as I say" type, like Clinton. BTW, I'm just judging the man based on the "content of his character".

76 posted on 01/02/2006 1:24:57 PM PST by mikegi
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To: billhilly

MLK would give Je$$e a swift kick in the a$$ if they should ever meet in the afterlife.


77 posted on 01/02/2006 1:27:09 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: mikegi
So am I. Again. Here was a man living with the prospect of death at any moment. He showed his character by not quitting. I see no resemblance to Billy Jeff Clinton, who risked nothing except exposure and electoral defeat.
78 posted on 01/02/2006 1:30:17 PM PST by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: durasell

No, but my friends have.


79 posted on 01/02/2006 1:35:33 PM PST by Richard Kimball (Tenure is the enemy of excellence.)
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To: Liz

So where is REV JACKY when King's Center in Atlanta needs renovating? Nothing to add to the coffers for the man who's back he road to his kingly journey?

As far as MLK goes- I admire his work for rights- through peace instead of blood like the Black Panthers, et al...

BUT_ he is still a typical man- waits til he is dying- spills to his wife.. for HIS benefit- not hers. BTW honey- now that I am dying and I don't have to listen to you screech and yap about my failings- let me clear my conscience.....YOU HOLD THIS BAG OF FILTH while I slide into ever-after peace darling.....

I love when men and women say they don't tell their spouse about the "affair" because they don't want to hurt them....BWAAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAHAAA! If ya don't want to hurt them- DON'T HAVE THE AFFAIR YOU IDIOT! You don't tell them because you don't want to deal with the consequences! DUH!

My two cents worth on it anyway- and I already hit the donor jar so I am aloud! LOL!


80 posted on 01/02/2006 1:35:43 PM PST by eeevil conservative (courage is living in tyranny and speaking for freedom/not living in freedom and speaking for tyranny)
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