Local Craftsmen Object to Chinese Construction of MLK Memorial

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Finding irony – and perhaps a whiff of hypocrisy – in the Chinese design of the new Martin Luther King Memorial, Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 1 MD, VA & D.C. has launched a Facebook campaign called “Don’t Tarnish the Dream.” The union will be leafleting and distributing free t-shirts this week at the memorial site. The t-shirts feature King on the front contrasted with the made-in-China memorial, and a quote from King on the back that reads, in part: “If I had lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn’t committed themselves to that over there.” In addition to the memorial’s design by a Chinese sculptor – which raised controversy back in 2007 -- and sculpted in China, the memorial was installed by Chinese workers brought over for the job, rather than local workers, as promised by the MLK memorial foundation. The leafleting will be from 8–3p daily – beginning today – through Friday at 1800 W Basin Dr SW, Washington D.C.; contact Francis Jacobberger at 443-433-2422 or fjacobberger@baclocal1.org for more info.