Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial, Washington, D.C.
By Greg Thrasher, VOD Washington DC Bureau contributing editor planeidea@msn.com
January 15, 2012
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has ordered a correction to a badly mangled quotation from Martin Luther King Jr. inscribed in granite on the Tidal Basin memorial to the slain civil rights leader.
Salazar has told the National Park Service to consult with the memorial foundation and the King family and to report back to him within 30 days with a plan to fix the carved excerpt. Yet for many this is not enough. Instead of just some minor clerical repairs to the quotation additional quotes and words that reflect the total work of MLK, which included a focus on racial injustice must be a part of the National Park Service’s repairs to the monument.
The future of Black youth is still gravely imperiled by racism, poverty, destruction of public education, police brutality and mass incarceration
What many people don’t know is that presently none of the quotes on the King memorial mention race nor any words about King’s body of work in America’s civil rights movement. King’s work which encompassed major protests against racial injustice and inequality are not reflected nor present as quotes on the King Monument. To officially ignore the core work of Dr. King is not only a national disgrace but almost Orwellian in construction and design. This omission of Dr. King’s civil rights legacy is an affront to the holiday and the King Memorial.
It is shocking to discover that this was deliberate and intentional to not insert any verbiage or words, quotes which recognize the real life work and mission of MLK. This deliberate omission of acknowledgment of King’s body of work in the arena of racial justice reflects a contempt in part for Black Americans . The mission of MLK encompassed more than a kum ba ya cultural drive feeling. MLK’s work was all about racial injustice as well as concerns about the poor and ending the war in Vietnam.
Instead of minor clerical repairs to the King Memorial is it is incumbent that the King Memorial reflect authentic truth and the reality of King’s life and body of work. We must demand a complete portrait of MLK on his memorial not a pc driven almost censored view of the truth about the mission of MLK.
From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:
“Why I Am Opposed to the War in Vietnam”
“When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, militarism and economic exploitation are incapable of being conquered.”
Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech:
“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.”
Kudos Greg.
King was a dreamer however he was also a cogent critic of human behavior far ahead of his time. Religiousity can be an admirable trait in a rare few and King was definitely one who balanced his religious beliefs with the courage of his personal convictions. One of which is that one cannot leave what needs to be changed to divine providence.
alone.
My dear friend Mr Thrasher:
I congratulate you on your drive to have the US Parks Service correct the quotation on the King Memorial In Washington DC.
STOP, END OF THOUGHT
I congratulate MLK III on the kick off of his $100M, corporate sponsored renovation of the “King Compound” in Atlanta
STOP, END OF THOUGHT
I am troubled that today so many of the issues that many in the “Civil Rights Struggle” pushed to mitigate for the sake of a better life for Black people remain with Blacks bearing the burden.
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it – the assaults upon the Black community has never been more “equal opportunity” than is the case today.
I long for the day when any assailant of Black people is judged as an equal threat, expressing his equal humanity.
STOP, END OF THOUGHT.
CF,
That day has longed been here… My family and our circle of friends for decades have always objected, rejected and defeated all those who sought to advance policies and activities against Black Americans as we pursued our dreams. Of course my family’s traditions in this area will never end.
Thanks for your support and kind words.
Nice one, Greg, thanks for the heads-up. Jeez, you’ve got to watch these people every minute! Thanks for doing the hard work that it involves.
Nice in a way though that lots of people now want to twist and turn everything inside out to get a piece of Martin. I mean, nice that so much of White America will do anything to make it appear that Dr. King stands with them. Maybe it’s a kind of progress.
Fred,
I have no problem with that really MLK is a great friend to have stand with you!
Enjoy the holiday:-)
I have no problem with the more accurate and now more appropriate addition. It is unfortunate that everything related to Martin King must atill go through his family first, He was much bigger than his present surviving family, In my opinion his death was not caused by racism alone but by factors far much more base and universal in our DNA that has nothing to do with race, intelligence, education or upbringing, He knew this fact long before he was killed. I bellieve Malcom knew it as well.
Ron
Really…
Link to list of MLK Quotes on King Memorial:
http://yourblackpolitics.blogspot.com/2011/10/list-of-quotations-from-martin-luther.html
Mr.Thrasher
WoW your views are awesome. I will share this with my family and friends
Happy MLK 2U
Good job Greg!