Little-Acorn
08-28-2013, 04:52 PM
Looks like even the Obama administration finally became aware of the wrongly quoted lines from Dr. Martin Luther King, engraved on the side of his memorial in Washington DC.
Just in time.
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http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/metro-news/2013/aug/26/king-memorial-not-only-controversial-monument-come/
King Memorial is not the only controversial monument to come to D.C.
Monday, August 26, 2013 - Metro News
by Susan L Ruth
WASHINGTON, August 26, 2013 — Celebrating the 50 year anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I have a Dream Speech,” tens of thousands of visitors descended on the National Mall this past weekend.
Visitors have flocked to the monument over the past few days for a variety of personal reasons, but few considered the controversy that has surrounded this monument since it was first conceived. The memorial is based on a line from King’s “I Have a Dream” speech: “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” The most recent controversy over this monument surrounded a quote on the left side of the stone of hope. It was paraphrased from King’s “Drum Major” speech. It read, “”I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.”
The actual words were “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.”
Critics have said that the removal of the word “if” changes the entire context. Most notably, poet Maya Angelou bluntly noted that without that word, the quote “makes Dr. Martin Luther King look like an arrogant twit.”
The sculptor was brought in to remove the quote from the statue in time for the 50th anniversary celebration.
Just in time.
---------------------------------------------
http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/metro-news/2013/aug/26/king-memorial-not-only-controversial-monument-come/
King Memorial is not the only controversial monument to come to D.C.
Monday, August 26, 2013 - Metro News
by Susan L Ruth
WASHINGTON, August 26, 2013 — Celebrating the 50 year anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I have a Dream Speech,” tens of thousands of visitors descended on the National Mall this past weekend.
Visitors have flocked to the monument over the past few days for a variety of personal reasons, but few considered the controversy that has surrounded this monument since it was first conceived. The memorial is based on a line from King’s “I Have a Dream” speech: “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” The most recent controversy over this monument surrounded a quote on the left side of the stone of hope. It was paraphrased from King’s “Drum Major” speech. It read, “”I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.”
The actual words were “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.”
Critics have said that the removal of the word “if” changes the entire context. Most notably, poet Maya Angelou bluntly noted that without that word, the quote “makes Dr. Martin Luther King look like an arrogant twit.”
The sculptor was brought in to remove the quote from the statue in time for the 50th anniversary celebration.