King Memorial Stalls Over Licensing Fee

Efforts to build a national memorial for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. have stalled because the civil rights leader’s family wants money to use his name and likeness in the marketing campaign.

“They’re asking for something in regards to a licensing fee,” said Harry Johnson, president of the memorial foundation. “We’re just trying to walk a fine, thin line.”

Last week, Johnson called representatives of the King family to ask about a dollar figure, but he says they haven’t returned his call.

Congress approved a King memorial in June 1998 and set aside land on the National Mall, which already is home to memorials for Franklin D. Roosevelt and Vietnam and Korean War veterans, and is the future home to a sprawling World War II memorial.