Maya Angelou Says Quote in MLK Memorial Out Of Context
WASHINGTON - The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial hasn't even been dedicated yet and now there is a new controversy about it.
At issue? A quotation on the side of the 30-foot granite statue of the slain civil rights leader. It reads, "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness."
The paraphrase comes from a sermon King gave two months before his assassination. In the sermon, he was speculating on how he might be eulogized.
The actual quote is: "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."
Dr. Maya Angelou, who consulted on the memorial, told the Washington Post that taking the quote out of context makes King sound like an "arrogant twit."...