Nationally acclaimed poet Maya Angelou threw cold water on the dedication of the MLK Memorial last year when she complained that organizers defiled his famous “Drum Major” speech by having the sculptor inscribe a paraphrase, instead of a verbatim, quotation from it.
Specifically, the paraphrase quotation on the left side of the centerpiece MLK statue reads:
I was a drum major for justice, peace, and righteousness.
The verbatim quotation is:
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.
Angelou also lamented that the paraphrase quotation:
… makes Dr. Martin Luther King look like an arrogant twit.
(News One for Black America, October 14, 2011)
I disagreed, arguing that:
I understand the artistic license the designer took; because cramming that many words onto the side of the MLK statue would detract from his profile. Besides, MLK’s character as a Gandhian/humble civil rights leader is so deeply rooted in American consciousness today that people can be left to put this quote into proper perspective without Professor Angelou’s pedantic vigilance.
(“Dedication of the MLK Memorial,” The iPINIONS Journal, 2012)
But I also conceded later in this same commentary that:
It does seem rather arrogant to paraphrase MLK’s words in this formal and permanent context. This is why I urge the organizers to have the sculptor inscribe the entire quotation – regardless of its aesthetic impact. Alternatively, they could select a pithier one for this location and exhibit the ‘Drum Major’ quotation, which clearly must be included, in another prominent place on the grounds of the memorial.
Well, last week organizers announced that the paraphrase quotation will be completely removed. Evidently, the sculptor determined that drilling to include the verbatim quotation would harm the monument’s structural integrity. Significantly, though, they said nothing about inscribing it elsewhere….
In a joint statement released by the U.S. Interior Department, King’s family voiced support for the new plan. King’s youngest daughter Bernice King, who is chief executive of the King Center in Atlanta, thanked [Interior Secretary] Salazar and the National Park Service for taking ‘care to maintain the spirit and appearance of such an important monument to our country’s history and my father’s memory.’
(Associated Press, December 11, 2012)
All the same, I hope I can be forgiven for noting that King’s family agreed with my proposal for resolving this monumental conflict:
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.
Repairs are scheduled to begin in late February and completed by late spring. But the National Park Service is keen to assure the public that the memorial will be open for visits throughout.
If you have an opportunity to visit, seize it! Because this memorial is not only beautifully sculpted; it’s wholly serene.
Related commentaries:
Dedication…
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