"This is the official meeting of the National Board of Directors of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference," said Bishop Richard Cox of Dayton, Ohio, in Atlanta. "We are united. We are the official arm of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. What they are doing in Eutaw doesn't matter to us."

The conflict arose when a group voted in December to remove Raleigh Trammell as chairman and Spiver Gordon as treasurer, after the federal government began investigating both of them for misusing the funds of the organization. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the men paid themselves and their individual projects more than $569,000 from SCLC funds. This led to investigations by local, state and federal authorities.

The SCLC is one of the most significant civil rights organizations in America. It was founded in 1957 and was an important part of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The group also played a critical role in the civil rights movement.

Those who support Trammell attempted to reconstitute the board by removing certain members and replacing them with 14 others. The battle has spilled into the courts, with one decision after another shifting power from group to group. In the most recent court decision, a Fulton County judge said that anything the group has done since October is void. Rev. Bernice King, the daughter of Dr. King, is now the president-elect for the organization. King may step in to help resolve the group's differences before she takes office.

I am not sure of the source of this drama (I'll keep asking around and try to give you information as it comes to me), but a few things remain clear:

1) The world needs the SCLC: This organization was fundamental to the advancement of people of color throughout the United States and the world. To see the SCLC divide and fall would be a huge loss to our nation. It is important that all parties involved understand the critical importance of their actions and how those actions are going to impact history.

2) Bad apples need to be removed: I am sure the SCLC leadership understands that companies and citizens are hesitant to give their money to an organization that doesn't appear to be functioning in a completely ethical manner. Once the drama is resolved, the SCLC should make public statements to ensure that corrective action has been taken to create proper oversight of the group's financial management system. This is not to say that anyone was misusing funds, but the perception must be alleviated immediately.

3) Bernice King must engage in strong leadership: When Bernice's brother, Martin Luther King III, took over as the group's president in the mid-'90s, he was criticized heavily for being an ineffective leader. After being suspended, King stepped up his work and gave the organization the kind of leadership it deserved. Bernice is a strong leader and an intelligent woman. I fully expect that she will give the group the deliberate guidance necessary to make the SCLC as relevant as it was 30 years ago. It's going to be a long fight, but the SCLC has survived much worse. I expect they will make it through this situation with flying colors.

Watch the National SCLC defend Trammell here:




Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the new book, "Black American Money." To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.