In 1985, Coretta Scott King asked Carson to lead a Project in Publishing Dr. Kings previously unpublished works. In an interview conducted in 2008, Carson explains that he initially declined to work as Senior Editor to Dr. Kings works, Carson had "never really thought of as a King biographer. [He was a SNCC person", he said referencing the discord between SNCC and Dr. King that occurred during the movement. Carson eventually agreed to oversee the project mentioning that he would not have accepted the job if the family held control over Dr. Kings works. Carson and his staff has spent over 20 years working to edit and publish Dr. Kings works.