From The Root…
MLK Memorial ‘Drum Major’ Quote to Be Corrected
By Claudio E. Cabrera
A controversial “drum major” quote affixed to the side of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C., will be corrected, according to the Washington Post. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar made the announcement on Saturday a few days ahead of the 30-day deadline he’d set for himself.
“It’s the right thing to do, just because it’s a monument that’s so important for our nation, and it’s important that we get it right,” Salazar told the Post.
Salazar said that he met with King’s sister, Christine King Farris; his daughter Bernice King; and two nieces and that they all agreed the best fix would be the full quotation.
The original quote, 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,” was truncated to “I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.”
Many people, including Maya Angelou, felt the change made King sound boastful and arrogant. The cost of placing the new inscription on the memorial will be between $150,000 and $600,000. It will be paid from the foundation’s contingency fund or private sources.
