Bernice King addressed the controversy surrounding the Southern Christian Leadership Conference on Tuesday while reaching out to the factions involved in an effort to ease tension between the parties.
King, surrounded by her supporters, announced that she was holding a prayer vigil Friday at 6:30 p.m. in light of the turmoil fueled by a heated court battle over who is in charge of the SCLC. The vigil will be held at Ebenezer Baptist Church in the Horizon Sanctuary.
The power struggle began after questions were raised about $569,000 spent by then-chairman Raleigh Trammell and then-treasurer Spiver Gordon from SCLC accounts. The money issue is still being investigated, and the Trammel-Gordon group has sued to stay in control of the SCLC. The other group is being led by Sylvia Tucker, who had been second under Trammell.
King has chosen to remain relatively silent about the situation, stating that as a minster, she can only follow the word of God.
“I have called for the prayer because keeping together is important in a movement,” she said.
Whether or not the Trammell-Gordon group will attend the vigil is up in the air.
King said she has nothing to do with the lawsuit, adding that she isn’t sure about the facts surrounding the case.
“I wouldn’t say it’s disturbing. I would say what I hear indicated that work needed to be done,” King said of the situation.
Throughout the case proceedings, King has continued to meet with her transition team to discuss the current state of the SCLC.
“I am the first president that will have to come into this organization amidst confusion and rebuild it almost from ground zero,” King said.
King was elected president in October last year. She would be the first female president of the organization.
King said she wanted to know everything before she took over, adding that she was ready to take over in April.
She didn’t address if she considered Markel Hutchins the interim president of the organization. Hutchins was named president by the Trammell-Gordon group.
King also tiptoed around questions about if she was going to take over the SCLC by force or even when the situation is settled.
Charles Mathis, lawyer for the group opposing the Trammell-Gordon backers, told the AJC that he expects a decison on the court case later this month. He said both parties will submit documents to the judge Aug. 16.
Despite the turmoil, King maintains that the SCLC remains relevant. King's father, Martin Luther King Jr., was co-founder of the organization.
“Regardless of people who think it’s a dead organization, what it stands for is not,” she said.
King supporters will hold their SCLC convention Aug. 8. King, who has been invited, said she doesn’t know whether or not she will attend. A vice president will be elected at the convention and will serve as acting president until King takes over.
King has not been invited to the convention hosted by the Trammell-Gordon group at a later date.
The challenge, King said, will be getting the organization back to its roots.
King said the situation isn’t about one person, but about the organization and what it represents.
“The most important thing if we are going to uphold the legacy of Dr. King is healing and reconciling,” she said.
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