DCentric » National Park Service http://dcentric.wamu.org Race, Class, The District. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:20:35 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Copyright © WAMU Poll: Should MLK Memorial Quote Be Changed? http://dcentric.wamu.org/2012/02/poll-should-mlk-memorial-quote-be-changed/ http://dcentric.wamu.org/2012/02/poll-should-mlk-memorial-quote-be-changed/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:35:39 +0000 Elahe Izadi http://dcentric.wamu.org/?p=14057 Continue reading →]]>

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The controversy over the quote on the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial isn’t over. National Park Service plans to change the quote on the side of King’s statue is drawing criticism from the monument’s executive architect and others.

The quote on King’s statue currently reads, “I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.” It’s a paraphrased version of this longer quote, from the end of his “Drum Major” speech:

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.

Some, including poet Maya Angelou, have criticized the paraphrased version, saying it makes King sound arrogant. The monument’s architect says the existing stone can’t be matched and changing the quote “would essentially deface the monument,” reports WAMU 88.5′s Elliott Francis.

Do you think the paraphrased version should be changed, or should the NPS leave the memorial alone? Vote below:


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