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Righting The Wrong On MLK's Statue

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

And now to some words set in stone: I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness. That sentence is inscribed on a statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. at a memorial to the civil rights leader here in Washington, D.C. The problem? Dr. King never said those words - not exactly. Here's what Dr. King actually said in a 1968 sermon:

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: 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.

MARTIN: Now, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has given the National Park Service 30 days to come up with a plan to fix the inscription. That won't be in time for tomorrow's Martin Luther King holiday, so why 30 days? According to the Washington Post, Salazar said, "Things only happen when you put a deadline on it." And unlike the inscription, that is a direct quote.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MARTIN: You're listening to NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.