The California State Conference of the NAACP’s Resolution 11 concerning the MLK National Memorial in Washington DC
[sup]MEBuckner, Tom, et al.: A board search of “Yixin” drew blanks. If this is a repeat topic, please close or delete.[/sup]
Not the most pressing issue facing mankind - but timely nonetheless. The bulk of this 10 week old resolution runs contrary to the words attributed to the leader being memorialized.
Demand #1:
“Lei Yixin, from the People’s Republic of China, an artist renowned for glorifying Mao Zedong be overturned”
The latter half of that demand gives “red herring” an entirely new meaning. By their very name, commissioned artists aren’t glorifying their subjects - they’re doing the job they are commissioned (paid) to do. That leaves the artist’s national origin (PRC) and name (Yixin). Non-American artists do quite a lot of commissioned works funded partially with public monies on these shores. Is the CA NAACP guilty of judging Mr. Yixin by the color of his skin - not but by the content of his character or his portfolio?
Demand #2:
“Denounces the decision to use granite quarried using slave labor, and demands that stone for the monument to Dr. King be quarried and carved in America”
I think we can all agree that if materials quarried by Chinese slave labor were to be included in this project, importation would likely be prohibited Congress faster than you could say egg foo yung. One minor quibble, for all I know, the proposed material might possibly be quarried via prison labor - but from my vantage point, that’s a bit different than slave labor - which is what the resolution decries.
Demand #3:
“Congress to conduct a formal investigation into the dismissal of sculptor Ed Dwight, who was originally contracted to serve as consultant and Artist-of-Record for the King memorial.”
Sorry, but on his own ‘resume’, Mr. Dwight works with bronze, the Memorial plan calls for stone.
Demand #4:
“Congress to conduct a formal investigation into…the replacement of the African American firm Devroaux & Purness Architects”
We don’t need rat face Waxman for this investigation, let him re-focus on the evils of tobacco. Why would the CA NAACP push for patronage of one DC-based “African American firm” over another African-American, woman-owned full service architecture and program/construction management firm? Either the latter was hired since publication of Resolution 11 - or something smells fishy.
Demand #5:
“Be it finally resolved, that the California State Conference of the NAACP demands that the King Memorial Project Foundation name an African American artistic team as Artists-of-Record for the monument to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and that an oversight committee be created to enforce these resolutions.”
Translation: Artistic quotas shall be implemented on the grounds Rev. King’s legacy is reserved solely for African Americans. Whiteys and gooks need not apply. That previous sentence bordered on hyperbole - but no matter how you carve it, the NAACP’s largest state chapter has stepped right into a big pile of bull shit with Resolution 11. As with most special interest groups, their good intentions have become obscured by short sightedness, hypocrisy (or both).