Maya Angelou says King memorial inscription makes him look ‘arrogant’

[alp227]

Source: The Washington Post

On Feb. 4, 1968, two months before he was assassinated, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a haunting sermon at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church about a eulogy that might be given in the event of his death.

“If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice,” King told the congregation. “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.”

The sermon was so powerful that the designers of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington selected those lines to be inscribed on the memorial’s towering statue of the civil rights leader.

But because of a design change during the statue’s creation, the exact quotes had to be paraphrased, and now one of the memorial’s best-known consultants, poet and author Maya Angelou, says the shortened inscription is misleading and ought to be changed.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/maya-angelou-says-king-memorial-inscription-makes-him-look-arrogant/2011/08/30/gIQAlYChqJ_story.html

[gateley]

1. I'm sorry she feels that way. Even the "revised" version just

makes me feel his goodness.

[hlthe2b]

3. wow... you get a 180 degree different impression than I....

perhaps I'll feel differently, when I see it in person. :shrug:

[gateley]

12. Do you feel the same as she does? I never would have

even considered that it was "arrogant".

If you do agree with her, do you think you would have had the same response had she (or someone else) not said that?

[hlthe2b]

17. My full impression is in a second post below...

But, I don't think I thought it was "arrogant"... just very misleading and not really consistent with how he spoke. It just seems "wrong."

I have an image in my minds eye of how I would picture him and frankly it seems a no brainer to use words from his "I have a dream" speech. Unfortunately, this monument--at least from the pictures I have seen-- don't seem to capture any of those elements. His visage is harsh and almost militant--not compassionate, determined, yet thoughtful as I viewed him. I think that is why it looks like those old Soviet era monuments to me.

One never knows how it will appear in "real life" however.

[gateley]

22. I guess I just think that we KNOW who he is and what he did

so it just kind of captures that -- albeit in an abbreviated way.

But honestly, I'm not sure I ever would have thought a thing about it if I hadn't read what she said.

Are you going to see it soon? I saw a close up of it, of his face, and I thought it was beautifully done. I imagine it will be goose bump-producing in real life.

[hlthe2b]

24. I haven't gotten back to DC in quite a while, so probably not right away...

Sometimes work takes me there though, so who knows....

[defendandprotect]

50. We know who Lincoln was, who FDR was .... imagine them portrayed in this way -- !!! Yikes!!

We -- and Maya Angelou -- are all saying how much NOT like MLK, Jr. this

statue is --

You like his face? Evidently it won't be visible to anyone looking at he statue!!

Not from a distance -- and how would it be visible 30 feet up in the air?

This monstrous thing should be taken down!

[tblue37]

25. Apparently the artist is a Chinese guy who also did several Mao

monuments in China, so that actually is the style he works in, and your impression is not off base.

[methodman]

30. Maya Angelou

With respect to Maya. Because she is a poet she vision's using her imagination; not image. They really are a separate focus each with different tricks up their sleeve. If she wrote about the poses of Martin Luther King she might be able to really tune up to the creators of the statue. arrogant is a cheap word and she needs to listen to more Cheap Trick. She is a capable insightful poet. I think she is up to the task. Dr. King's sermons don't conjure the same vision to all educators. There is nothing wrong with that. I think Christianity has lost it's humanity and sanity. I excommunicated myself as an evangelical and am proud of that. The Christian Religion and Humanity have nothing any more to do with each other. The pastor interpretation's of scripture don't pass the agreed upon standards involved in the measuring systems used to create poetry and stories in the Academic and University world and communities. I think Martin Luther King would be proud to GUT RELIGION. I think the statue does honor him.

[hlthe2b]

2. It makes no sense as paraphrased...I agree, Ms. Angelou

But then, I really don't like anything about this memorial as completed. It looks very much like one of those old Soviet era statues and the choice of pink marble seems especially bizarre.

I am really surprised that anything about his memorial would have been approved--by those who knew and very much cared for the legacy of MLK. :shrug:

[kiranon]

7. Had the same impression - "Soviet style" art does not capture his greatness.

[Kelvin Mace]

41. Chinese communist style, actually.

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/08/26/305092/mlk-jr-memorial-statue-completed-using-unpaid-chinese-laborers/

[Honeycombe8]

45. I agree. It reads like a quote, when it's not. If not a quote, it should say, HE was a drum major.

It shoudl say HE was a drum major.....not "I" was a drum major, since it's not a quote.

[BOHICA12]

4. The sculpture say much the same ...

the body language portrayed says ... "I'm not listening - you have nothing to say to me." It's a shame.

[patrice]

10. Agreed. It's as though the artist didn't really have empathy with MLK, the human. nt

[Devil_Fish]

36. I agree. he looks like a pissed off asian. Not that I have any thing against asains, but

My god, could they have got it any more wrong? From the crossed arms to the leer in his eyes, What the fuck why didn't they cross his legs too, or better yet turn his back to the viewer. Fuck

[Kelvin Mace]

42. Well, the sculptor's previous work was a statue of Mao

so it makes sense.

[tawadi]

5. It is unfortunate they couldn't use the entire quotation

Hopefully, they can fix it.

[Honeycombe8]

49. All they have to do is change "I" to "He." It's not a quote. It shouldn't have been

written like it's one.

Don't people know grammar and punctuation anymore? I read today two articles online...and there were glaring misspellings in both...one of them was in the title. And those are supposed journalists.

[Brickbat]

6. The paraphrase is this:

Carved on the north face of the 30-foot-tall granite statue, the inscription reads: I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.

“The quote makes Dr. Martin Luther King look like an arrogant twit,” Angelou, 83, said Tuesday. “He was anything but that. He was far too profound a man for that four-letter word to apply.

“He had no arrogance at all,” she said. “He had a humility that comes from deep inside. The ‘if’ clause that is left out is salient. Leaving it out changes the meaning completely.”

I totally agree with her. She's right on with this. It sounds bizarre without the "if" clause.

[Cronus Protagonist]

23. Change it to "He was a drum major..."

Perfect. And appropriate because these are not his words, yet they are an answer to his speech. He WAS a drum major for peace and justice, we declare, as he requested.

[24601]

52. Drum Major just doesn't do him justice either - I'd propose that we

promote him to Drum Colonel or Drum General.

[No Elephants]

35. Of all the incredible things he said, this was a poor choice. And to paraphrase a man who spoke

poetry whenever he preached is mind boggling.

[patrice]

8. Maya Angelou is right. The line now lacks King's characteristic verbal grace.

[Supersedeas]

47. and context

[madrchsod]

9. it really is an awful statue...

who in the hell approved that thing?

[shanti]

26. that was my thought

was this on obama's watch?

[patrice]

11. I kind of like the rest of the monument & the 3 pieces of the "mountain" with the figure emerging

from one, but THAT figure is NOT Dr. King.

[Skinner]

13. I think I agree with Maya Angelou.

The paraphrase does not have the same feeling as the original. Of all people, I think Maya Angelou (and Dr. King for that matter) understands the subtlety of words, and how seemingly minor changes can have a big impact.

This sings:

"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."

This doesn't:

"I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness."

[Gormy Cuss]

43. That's exactly it --Angelou does understand that language matters

and she also recognizes that King's powerful, eloquent style is absent in this paraphrase.

[patrice]

14. Though . . . the profile of his head IS exquisite.

[Hoyt]

15. It's more than "paraphrased" -- new doesn't come close to original.

Time to find someone to change it to the original, or as close as possible. That stone tribute will be there pretty much forever -- needs to be right.

[truthisfreedom]

16. SNAFU.

[bigworld]

19. There's plenty of room for that whole quotation there

... or for another better one.

And Angelou shouldn't be surprised by this. She is on the council that selected the inscriptions!

[Electric Monk]

18. "I was a drum major." - MLK

:wtf:

nt

[bigworld]

20. Angelou is on the council that chose the inscriptions!

Why didn't she say anything before???

[tblue37]

27. From the article:

<snip>

“As you move through the process, things happen and you have to make design changes on the spot,” he said.

Jackson said the project outlined the situation and the solution to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which was overseeing the memorial design. “They didn’t have a problem with it.”

“Now, did I ask Maya Angelou?” he said. “No.”

Although Angelou is listed among the memorial’s Council of Historians picked to select inscriptions for the memorial, she did not attend inscription meetings, Jackson said.

<snip>

[tropicanarose]

21. I actually had a similar thought thought when I saw it, I think that the statue is wonderful but

I did think that the expression on his face didn't capture his spirit--his warmth, decency and compassion. He looks very stern and a little angry.

[Solly Mack]

28. The quote matters. (to get it correct)

[tiny elvis]

29. a drum major has the same use as a hood ornament

a band does not really follow a drum major's direction
“If you want to say that I was (putting on a show; not really driving the action),
say that (it was) for justice... And all of the other shallow things will not matter.”
the changed quote retains humility and implies the need for everyone in a movement
still it is an odd choice for a legend, as it was a response to criticism and not a simple positive statement
i like the strength in the stone likeness
thumbs up, overall

[jwirr]

31. So how was it paraphrased on the memorial. I hear her side but I

would have liked it if the article quoted would have included the paraphrase.

[ChandlerJr]

32. It not only makes makes him look ‘arrogant’

The entire monument makes him look Oriental.

What a boondoggle.

[PBass]

33. They really blew it...

King is not using the description "drum major" as a compliment. If you don't understand that, then you don't understand the quote.

Lets try it this way, if you don't understand:

“If you want to say that I was a showboat, say that I was a showboat for justice,” King told the congregation. “Say that I was a showboat for peace. I was a showboat for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter.”

I'm not even sure that the full quote makes a good inscription. Why include the negative? "If you want to criticize me, then criticize me this way..."

And the architect's comment is dreadful:

“As you move through the process, things happen and you have to make design changes on the spot,” he said.

Oh really? "On the spot" decisions? Well you made a big mistake this time.

[arikara]

34. It looks like there is lots of room

they could have fit the quotation on quite easily. The paraphrase leaves me cold too.

[No Elephants]

37. Sounds as though even the original quote was King answering someone who had tried to insult him by

calling him a drum major. A drum major leads a marching band, not serving much of a purpose putting on a show to entertain onlookers. Calling him a drum major would have demeaned not only King himself, but also his magnificent and significant freedom marches, during every one of which King risked being shot--and knew it.

Here is the quote in context, when King was speaking about what he wanted someone to say of him at his funeral:

"I'd like somebody to mention that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day, that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say, on that day, that I did try, in my life, to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

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. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say."


I imagine someone did say all that, verbatim, at his funeral. Since paraphrasing occurred, I would have used "Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his life serving others." Not as poetic as some of the things he said, but it about sums it all up for me.

[Safetykitten]

38. It is a hideous monument. The concept was more softer. Link to landscape architect's version.

http://www.roma.com/news.html

[Vinca]

39. It is hideous and the image of Dr. King isn't right at all.

Someone said he looks more like Chairman Mao than MLK.

[Kelvin Mace]

40. And yet, she misses two more important issues:

1) The statue was created by the Chinese sculptor who did a famous statue of Mao.

2) The statue was created using unpaid Chinese labor.

Kind of spitting King's grave, if you ask me.

Oh, and the statue is NOT flattering, and makes King look really angry. You know, like how pissed off he would be to learn that his memorial was built by exploited workers.

[Poll_Blind]

44. I'm embarassed that we can't even get an American-made monument with a decent inscription for...

...Dr. King. How could people fuck that up so bad? It's embarrassing and it kind of makes me feel like it wasn't executed with the kind of genuine respect and care that something of that magnitude deserves.

No shit, I'm no expert on Martin Luther King but, come on, give me the money to hire a sculptor and buy the granite and I'm going to have Americans do it and have something that makes sense inscribed onto the goddamned thing. Not made in China and with some ambiguous (at best) sounding quote.

What the hell, guys?

PB

[MellowDem]

46. Too bad....

they got this memorial so wrong. There are such great sculptures and memorials elsewhere. The Korean War memorial is one of my favorites. This one will rank near the bottom for me. A travesty really, especially the Soviet-looking statue.

[BOHICA12]

48. Agree about the Korean War Memorial -- nt

[woo me with science]

51. Maya Angelou is right.

This is an embarrassment and an insult to Dr. King.