On Friday, the National Park Service made an announcement to remove an inscription from the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and replace it with a full quotation from the civil rights leader. Critics such as the famous poet, Maya Angelou, says the shortened phrase made Dr. King sound like an “arrogant twit” and it didn’t reflect his words accurately. The inscription reads “I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.”
It is reported that any new granite added to the statue would be an obvious different color. Ed Jackson Jr., the executive architect of the $120 million memorial project said, “There is no way you can match the existing stone and color. It will continue to age differently, even if you went to the same quarry.” Secretary Ken Salazar reported that the inscription currently on the memorial will be removed entirely and replaced by the full quotation, which reads, “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.” Salazar said, “With a monument so powerful and timeless, it is especially important that all aspects of its words, design and meaning stay true to Dr. King’s life and legacy.”
