On February 20, 2009, Kim donated a kidney’s to my long-term friend, Marion S. Barry, Jr. In 2013, Marion and Kim cofounded and incorporated the “Marion Barry-Kim Dickens Kidney Foundation”, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, in which She’s the President & Chairman of the Board. The foundation (MBKDKF), was created to “Educate and Promote Kidney health and Kidney donation in minority communities”.
Marion passed away on November 23, 2014 and was eulogized on December 6, 2014. On January 5, 2015, the entire MBKDKF Board of Director’s, were served with “Cease and Desist” papers from Mr. A. Scott Bolden, Partner at Reed Smith, LLP. The “Cease and Desist” papers were served on behalf of, their client, Cora Masters Barry, who is Marion’s estranged wife whom he lived separate and apart from the last 15 years of his life.
On March 20, 2015 — a civil case was filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia (2015 CA 002357 B) by Reed Smith against MBKDKF and Kim Dickens. Reed Smith filed a certificate of Discovery in September of 2016, Court appointed mediation took place in February 2018. In late December of 2018, a pre-trial hearing was scheduled and trail was scheduled and placed on the court calendar for March 18, 2019.
On March 7, 2019, A. Scott Bolden/Reed Smith, sought and filed a “STIPULATION OF DISMISSAL WITH PREJUDICE” with the court. The case was dismissed.
PREVIOUS Statements from Kim Dickens
“I gave one of my kidneys to my dear friend Marion because he needed one and we were a match. Marion was always grateful but he was aware many others were not so lucky. He knew the great need for organ donation in the minority communities he spent a lifetime serving. He also knew I was uniquely positioned to deliver the message of organ donation. Marion felt that lending his name and celebrity to his organ donor would encourage more organ donors. In a city where he was often seen as bigger than life it was, after all, our friendship and the resultant organ donation that gave him a new lease on his celebrated life.”
Marion was proud to be affiliated with the Marion Barry-Kim Dickens Kidney Foundation. His support and encouragement, in both the formation and publicizing, of the Foundation is public record. We intend to continue doing the work of raising awareness for organ donation in minority communities, just as Marion wished.”
