Maya Angelou is mad over a paraphrased quote set in stone that says “I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness” on the new Martin Luther King Jr memorial. The original quote was from a speech the civil rights leader gave in Atlanta two months before his 1968 assassination. She feels that the paraphrased quote “made him look like an arrogant twit.” Hit the jump to read the rest of the story.
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‘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.’
– Martin Luther King Jr, February 4, 1968
But all that wound up on the memorial was: ‘I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.’
Miss Angelou told the Washington Post: ‘The quote makes Dr. Martin Luther King look like an arrogant twit.’
She added: ‘It makes him seem less than the humanitarian he was. It makes him seem an egotist.’
Miss Angelou, who served as a consultant for the 30-foot tall memorial, told the paper that the quote should be changed.
Ed Jackson Jr, the chief architect of the statue, said the quote was originally to appear in its entirety on the south side of the statue, but when it was moved to the north side, there wasn’t enough room.
Mr Jackson contends the shortened quote was approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which reviewed inscriptions that were to appear on the statue, along with other top advisers.
