Removed "Drum Major" Quote

The edited quote from the “The Drum Major Instinct” Sermon was removed from the Stone of Hope.

NPS Antoine Thomas

Quick Facts

Location:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Designation:

National Park

Amenities

2 listed

Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Wheelchair Accessible

The edited quote from “The Drum Major Instinct” Sermon given at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA on February 4, 1968. 

Edited version: I WAS A DRUM MAJOR FOR JUSTICE, PEACE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

No memorial escapes controversy. In this case, a quote was edited in order to balance the theme statement quote, two lines long, located on the opposite side of the Stone of Hope. All the other quotes in the memorial, including the theme statement, are direct quotes. Few, if any, would argue that the edited version didn’t capture the essence of the original quote. The problem, however, is in how one might say the edited version. If one emphasizes the word “I”, one could reasonably argue that it makes King sound arrogant, which is problematic. 

In the end, the easiest solution ended up being the best solution, i.e. to simply remove the edited quote, leaving two striation grooves in its place. (The top groove is even with the bottom of his suit jacket.) Controversy resolved.