Head of MLK memorial foundation upset with proposed change to King Monument in Washington The USA Times

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Head of MLK memorial foundation upset with proposed change to King Monument in Washington

WASHINGTON - An organizer of the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is criticizing plans to remove an inscription from the monument, saying the changes will threaten the design.

The National Park Service said Friday it would replace it with a full quotation from the civil rights leader.

Critics had complained the abbreviated quote on the memorial didn't accurately reflect King's words.

Harry Johnson is the president and CEO of the Martin Luther Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation. He says in a statement that he's disappointed the King family and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar made a "unilateral decision" to change the memorial.

He says the new plan will "threaten the design, structure and integrity" of the monument. The project's architect has taken a similar position, saying new granite added to the memorial would be a noticeably different colour.