WASHINGTON – Just in time, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is ready to greet those taking part in the 50th anniversary reenactment of The March on Washington.
It was only on Saturday that the last of the scaffolding that had surrounded the statue of the civil rights icon was removed. The statue had been under repairs to remove a paraphrased quote that many claimed had made King look arrogant.
In place of the quote, the north face of The Stone of Hope now has wide striations carved into it.
A contract problem threatened to delay the project, as the contractor who had been hired to provide the materials for the finishing sandblasting was not able to deliver the specific material that Lei wanted because its insurance did not cover it.
One other material was tried that left a temporary stain on the statue.
In the end the National Park Service brought in its own team that finished the job.
The Chinese sculptor Lei was in good mood Saturday, taking some pictures after the refinished statue debuted. “Have you seen the statue during sunset period? It was the most beautiful time for the memorial,” he said. He is scheduled to fly home on Tuesday, a week before those coming for the March on Washington can see what he means.