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| Martin Luther King memorial: 'Drum major' quote to be removed at $1m cost | Martin Luther King memorial: 'Drum major' quote to be removed at $1m cost |
| (10 days later) | |
| For a monument to a civil rights leader who fought for equality and unity, the national memorial to Martin Luther King has been surprisingly troubled by strife. There were very public disagreements over who should design it, and an outcry over an inscription that the writer Maya Angelou complained made King look like an "arrogant twit". | For a monument to a civil rights leader who fought for equality and unity, the national memorial to Martin Luther King has been surprisingly troubled by strife. There were very public disagreements over who should design it, and an outcry over an inscription that the writer Maya Angelou complained made King look like an "arrogant twit". |
| Now the federal government has stepped into the fray in an attempt, once and for all, to end the uproar over the Washington monument. The secretary of the interior, Ken Salazar, has announced that the offending inscription will be removed altogether in a re-carving of the granite structure that will take most of next year and cost the memorial foundation almost $1m. | Now the federal government has stepped into the fray in an attempt, once and for all, to end the uproar over the Washington monument. The secretary of the interior, Ken Salazar, has announced that the offending inscription will be removed altogether in a re-carving of the granite structure that will take most of next year and cost the memorial foundation almost $1m. |
| The memorial, which opened last year close to the Lincoln memorial, bears the inscription in capital letters: "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness." | The memorial, which opened last year close to the Lincoln memorial, bears the inscription in capital letters: "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness." |
| The words are an abridged version of those King spoke in an address he made at his Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, two days before he was assassinated on 4 April 1968. In the course of the speech, he made an allusion to an earlier sermon from the Methodist J Wallace Hamilton, in which the preacher lambasted the "drum-major instincts" of those who "desire to be out front, to lead the parade", King said: "Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter." | The words are an abridged version of those King spoke in an address he made at his Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, two days before he was assassinated on 4 April 1968. In the course of the speech, he made an allusion to an earlier sermon from the Methodist J Wallace Hamilton, in which the preacher lambasted the "drum-major instincts" of those who "desire to be out front, to lead the parade", King said: "Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter." |
| The truncated inscription on the memorial drew fire not just from Angelou, but from members of King's family and other African American leaders. They argued that it gave precisely the opposite impression to that King originally intended – it suggested he wanted to project himself as a great leader rather than humbly remind his congregation of the causes he espoused. | The truncated inscription on the memorial drew fire not just from Angelou, but from members of King's family and other African American leaders. They argued that it gave precisely the opposite impression to that King originally intended – it suggested he wanted to project himself as a great leader rather than humbly remind his congregation of the causes he espoused. |
| Salazar suggested earlier this year that the shortened quotation would be replaced by the full version, but that in turn prompted a further round of discord between interested parties. Ed Jackson, the executive architect for the re-carving, said they concluded "it would have looked like a patch job for the life of the memorial". | Salazar suggested earlier this year that the shortened quotation would be replaced by the full version, but that in turn prompted a further round of discord between interested parties. Ed Jackson, the executive architect for the re-carving, said they concluded "it would have looked like a patch job for the life of the memorial". |
| In the end, harmony has been achieved by deciding to eradicate the bastardised quote altogether. That will be achieved by deepening the grooves cut into the granite all around the figure of King that were introduced to give the illusion of the civil rights leader emerging – in homage to his celebratory "I have a dream" speech made at the nearby Lincoln memorial – from the "mountain of despair" to the "stone of hope". | In the end, harmony has been achieved by deciding to eradicate the bastardised quote altogether. That will be achieved by deepening the grooves cut into the granite all around the figure of King that were introduced to give the illusion of the civil rights leader emerging – in homage to his celebratory "I have a dream" speech made at the nearby Lincoln memorial – from the "mountain of despair" to the "stone of hope". |
| "The memorial stands as a testament to Dr King's struggle for civil rights, and a dream of dignity, respect and justice for all," Salazar said. "I am proud that all parties have come together on a resolution that will help ensure the structural integrity of this timeless and powerful moment." | "The memorial stands as a testament to Dr King's struggle for civil rights, and a dream of dignity, respect and justice for all," Salazar said. "I am proud that all parties have come together on a resolution that will help ensure the structural integrity of this timeless and powerful moment." |
| King's sister, Christine King Farris, said that "while our family would have of course preferred to have the entire 'drum major' quote used, we fully endorse and support the secretary's proposal." | King's sister, Christine King Farris, said that "while our family would have of course preferred to have the entire 'drum major' quote used, we fully endorse and support the secretary's proposal." |
| The idea to remove the quote entirely came from Lei Yixin, a master sculptor from Changsha in China who led the memorial's design team. His appointment was itself the subject of vocal objections, with prominent African American artists bemoaning that the top job hadn't been awarded to one of their ranks. | The idea to remove the quote entirely came from Lei Yixin, a master sculptor from Changsha in China who led the memorial's design team. His appointment was itself the subject of vocal objections, with prominent African American artists bemoaning that the top job hadn't been awarded to one of their ranks. |
| • This article was amended on 14 December to correct the date of Martin Luther King's assassination | • This article was amended on 14 December to correct the date of Martin Luther King's assassination |
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