Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.

Memorial honoring King opens to public in DC
APBy BEN NUCKOLS



The statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is seen unveiled from scaffolding during the soft opening of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, Monday, Aug. 22, 2011. The memorial will be dedicated Sunday, Aug. 28. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)




The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is seen Monday, Aug. 22, 2011 in Washington, ahead of its dedication next weekend. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Visitors got their first up-close look Monday at the memorial to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., including a towering granite sculpture inspired by the civil rights leader's "I Have a Dream" speech.

The site opened without fanfare around 11 a.m. to kick off a week of celebrations ahead of Sunday's official dedication. A few hundred people had lined up outside the site by late morning on what was a warm and sunny day in the nation's capital. A stream of people filed into the site, reading some of the 14 quotations from King's speeches inscribed into a 450-foot-long granite wall.

The memorial sits on the National Mall near the Tidal Basin, between memorials honoring Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. The sheer size of the 30-foot sculpture of King sets it apart from the nearby statues of Jefferson and Lincoln, which are both about 20 feet tall.

Pamela M. Cross, 53, a cybersecurity professional from Washington, said she usually passes by the memorial on her morning walk around the National Mall and was excited to be able to see it up close.

Cross said her father, a postal worker, attended the march on Washington in 1963. She said King's message continues to resonate.

"The way the country is right now, it's good to remember his principles," Cross said. "We are in need of jobs, we're in need of equality, we're in need of an economic vision that's inclusive."

The sculptor, Lei Yixin, said he wanted the memorial to be a visual representation of the ideals King spoke of in his "I Have a Dream" speech.

"His dream is very universal. It's a dream of equality," Lei said through his son, who translated from Mandarin. "He went to jail. He had been beaten, and he sacrificed his life for his dream. And now his dream comes true."

Jean Watkins, 67, a neurodiagnostic technologist from Washington, said she was active in the civil rights movement in her native Norfolk, Va. She said the memorial caused her to reflect on the country's progress, noting that her granddaughter is about to begin her freshman year at Stanford University.

"Had he not done what he did, those doors would not be open for her and all of us," Watkins said.

Scott Lunt, 42, a freelance video producer, brought his 15-month-old son, Oliver, along for what he called a "momentous day."

"I hope that my son can grow up in a world where race is less important than it is in my life," Lunt said.

The sculpture depicts King with a stern expression, wearing a jacket and tie, his arms folded and clutching papers in his left hand. Lei said through his son that "you can see the hope" in King's face, but that his serious demeanor also indicates that "he's thinking."

The statue depicts King emerging from a stone. The concept for the memorial was taken from a line in the "I Have a Dream" speech, which is carved into the stone: "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." Visitors to the memorial pass through a sculpture of the mountain of despair and come upon the stone of hope.

The National Mall site will be surrounded with cherry trees that will blossom in pink and white in the spring.

Sunday's dedication ceremony will mark the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington and King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech. President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak at the dedication.

 

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I Have A Dream Speech


I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.


It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"​

 

Thanks, BT. I think the memorial turned out beautifully. I envy you...I won't get to go see it any time soon. The plans for the dedication ceremony sound awesome. MLK was definitely a great man with a beautiful spirit of strength, courage, love & dedication, which is rarely found in leadership these days.

 

Virtual Tour

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About Dr. King

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.One of the most visible advocates of nonviolence and direct action as methods of social change, Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta on 15 January 1929. As the grandson of the Rev. A.D. Williams, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist church and a founder of Atlanta's NAACP chapter, and the son of Martin Luther King, Sr., who succeeded Williams as Ebenezer's pastor, King's roots were in the African-American Baptist church. After attending Morehouse College in Atlanta, King went on to study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and Boston University, where he deepened his understanding of theological scholarship and explored Mahatma Gandhi's nonviolent strategy for social change.

King married Coretta Scott in 1953, and the following year he accepted the pastorate at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. King received his Ph.D. in systematic theology in 1955.

On 5 December 1955, after civil rights activist Rosa Parks refused to comply with Montgomery's segregation policy on buses, black residents launched a bus boycott and elected King president of the newly-formed Montgomery Improvement Association. The boycott continued throughout 1956 and King gained national prominence for his role in the campaign. In December 1956 the United States Supreme Court declared Alabama's segregation laws unconstitutional and Montgomery buses were desegregated.

Seeking to build upon the success in Montgomery, King and other southern black ministers founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957. In 1959, King toured India and further developed his understanding of Gandhian nonviolent strategies. Later that year, King resigned from Dexter and returned to Atlanta to become co-pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church with his father.

In 1960, black college students initiated a wave of sit-in protests that led to the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). King supported the student movement and expressed an interest in creating a youth arm of the SCLC. Student activists admired King, but they were critical of his top-down leadership style and were determined to maintain their autonomy. As an advisor to SNCC, Ella Baker, who had previously served as associate director of SCLC, made clear to representatives from other civil rights organizations that SNCC was to remain a student-led organization. The 1961 "Freedom Rides" heightened tensions between King and younger activists, as he faced criticism for his decision not to participate in the rides. Conflicts between SCLC and SNCC continued during the Albany Movement of 1961 and 1962.

In the spring of 1963, King and SCLC lead mass demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama, where local white police officials were known for their violent opposition to integration. Clashes between unarmed black demonstrators and police armed with dogs and fire hoses generated newspaper headlines throughout the world. President Kennedy responded to the Birmingham protests by submitting broad civil rights legislation to Congress, which led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Subsequent mass demonstrations culminated in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on 28 August 1963, in which more than 250,000 protesters gathered in Washington, D. C. It was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

King's renown continued to grow as he became Time magazine's Man of the Year in 1963 and the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. However, along with the fame and accolades came conflict within the movement's leadership. Malcolm X's message of self-defense and black nationalism resonated with northern, urban blacks more effectively than King's call for nonviolence; King also faced public criticism from "Black Power" proponent, Stokely Carmichael.

King's efficacy was not only hindered by divisions among black leadership, but also by the increasing resistance he encountered from national political leaders. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover's extensive efforts to undermine King's leadership were intensified during 1967 as urban racial violence escalated, and King's public criticism of U.S. intervention in the Vietnam War led to strained relations with Lyndon Johnson's administration.

In late 1967, King initiated a Poor People's Campaign designed to confront economic problems that had not been addressed by earlier civil rights reforms. The following year, while supporting striking sanitation workers in Memphis, he delivered his final address "I've Been to the Mountaintop." The next day, 4 April 1968, King was assassinated.

To this day, King remains a controversial symbol of the African-American civil rights struggle, revered by many for his martyrdom on behalf of nonviolence and condemned by others for his militancy and insurgent views.

 

History of the Memorial 1929-1959

January 15, 1929 Martin Luther King, Jr. (originally named Michael King) is born in Atlanta, GA.

February 25, 1948 King is ordained and is appointed associate pastor to his father, the pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church.

June 8, 1948 King graduates from Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.

May 6-8, 1951 King graduates Crozer Theological Seminary with a Bachelor of Divinity degree.

June 22, 1952 While attending graduate school at Boston University, King is initiated into the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

June 18, 1953 King marries Miss Coretta Scott.

May 17, 1954 The United States Supreme Court rules unanimously that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional in Brown vs. the Board of Education, stating that “separate can never be equal.”

October 31, 1954 King is installed as the twentieth pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL.

June 5, 1955 King receives his Ph.D. degree in Systematic Theology from Boston University.

December 5, 1955 Dr. King is elected President of the Montgomery Improvement Association, the group formed to coordinate the bus boycott.

December 20, 1955 Buses in Montgomery are integrated after federal injunctions are issued against many city and bus company officials. In the months before integration of buses occurs, the United States Supreme Court upholds an earlier ruling that declares mandatory bus segregation laws unconstitutional.

February 14, 1957 The Southern Christian Leadership Conference ("SCLC") is formed ; Dr. King is named its first president.

February –March 1959 Dr. and Mrs. King spend a month in India as guests of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, studying Mohandas K. Gandhi’s techniques of nonviolent resistance.

 

History of the Memorial 1962-1968

March – April, 1962 Dr. King is arrested during a demonstration in Birmingham. On April 16, he writes his famous “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” in which he describes the motivation and defends the need for nonviolent, direct action.

October 1, 1962 James Meredith becomes the first black man to enter the University of Mississippi. He is enrolled by order of the Supreme Court and escorted onto campus by U.S. Marshals.

October 16, 1962 Dr. King meets with President John F. Kennedy at the White House, urging him to support civil rights.

May 3-5, 1963 At a protest in Birmingham, young demonstrators are attacked with dogs and assaulted with water from fire hoses by order of Eugene “Bull” Connor, Director of Public Safety. Media coverage of the event provokes a national outcry against the tactics employed by segregationist leaders.

June 11, 1963 Governor George C. Wallace attempts to stop integration of the University of Alabama by preventing black students and Justice Department officials from entering. Governor Wallace removes himself from blocking the entrance after President Kennedy federalizes the Alabama National Guard.

August 28, 1963 At the historic March on Washington, the first large integrated protest march, Dr. King delivers his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the Mall in Washington, DC.

September 15, 1963 The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama is bombed, killing four young girls and injuring many worshippers. Dr. King delivers a eulogy for the girls.

Summer 1964 The Mississippi “Freedom Summer” Project, a voter registration drive, is organized and instituted by Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee (SNCC), with the aid of the SCLC.

July 2, 1964 Dr. King attends the signing of the Public Accommodations Bill, a part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

August 25, 1964 Dr. King speaks at the Democratic National Convention, where the Democratic Party refused to seat members of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

December 10, 1964 Dr. King accepts the Nobel Prize for Peace in Oslo, Norway.

February 9, 1965 Dr. King meets with President Johnson and other leaders to discuss voting rights for African-Americans.

March 21-25, 1965 More than three thousand march from Selma to Montgomery under the protection of federal troops. Along the way, their numbers increased to twenty-five thousand. The march ends in Montgomery, where Dr. King gives an address from the steps of the state capitol.

Summer 1965 Riots break out in Watts, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California.

August 6, 1965 President Johnson signs the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Spring 1966 To rally support for the election of black candidates, King makes a “People to People” tour of the South.

May 16, 1966 Dr. King makes an anti-war statement at a Vietnam War protest in Washington, DC.

June 8-24, 1966 Dr. King, many civil rights leaders and supporters continue James Meredith’s “March Against Fear” after Meredith is shot.

Summer 1967 Riots occur in 164 U.S. cities. The largest riots break out in Newark, New Jersey and Detroit, Michigan calling attention to the struggles faced by African Americans in Northern cities.

December 1967-1968 The SCLC forms and organizes the Poor People’s Campaign, a movement intended to alleviate poverty for Americans of all races and ethnicities.

April 4, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

April 7-9, 1968 April 7, 1968, declared a day of mourning, is marked by memorial events and religious services across the country. A silent march is held in Memphis, and on April 9, a funeral service at Ebenezer Baptist Church and a funeral procession take place in Atlanta.

 

History of the Memorial 1983-1999

November 2, 1983 The Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday bill, a measure proposed in every legislative session from 1968 by Rep. John Conyers is signed by President Ronald Reagan, declaring King’s birthday a national holiday. However, the first legal holiday nationwide does not occur until January 20, 1986.

January 1984 George Sealey is catalyst for convening Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity brothers Alfred Bailey, Oscar Little, Eddie Madison, and John Harvey, to propose building a national memorial to Dr. King. Their proposal is presented at the Fraternity’s Board of Director’s meeting, under the administration of General President Ozell Sutton.

November 12, 1996 President Clinton signs Congressional legislation proposing the establishment of a Memorial in the District of Columbia to honor Dr. King.

January 10, 1998 National Capital Memorial Commission votes to recommend Area 1.

February 27, 1998 Washington Post article is published: “King Memorial Takes a Step – Senate Bill Would Secure Prominent Site to Honor Slain Leader.” Joint Resolution 41 is introduced before the Senate by Senators Sarbanes (MD) and Warner (VA). Senator Landrieu (LA) was added as a co-sponsor.
March 4, 1998 Joint Resolution 113 introduced before the House of Representatives by Congressional members Morella (MD), Dixon (CA), and Cummings (MD) seeking Area 1 authorization.

March 5, 1998 Senator Cleland (GA) was added as a co-sponsor seeking Area 1 authorization.

March 7, 1998 Coretta Scott King agrees to serve as chairperson of the project’s Honorary Committee/ELC.

March 24, 1998 John Carter testifies before Senate subcommittee which oversees memorials in Washington, DC. Excerpt: “We now have an opportunity to break the trend of memorials to war and erect a monument which delivers a message of lifelong peace in our land. A memorial which embodies not just the image of Dr. King, but the image of America, which is often called the melting pot of the world.”

May 28, 1998 Charter for the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. approved.

June 22, 1998 House Joint Resolution 113 passed by the United States House of Representatives, giving the project Area 1 status.

June 25, 1998 Senate Joint Resolution 41 was passed by the United States Senate, giving the project Area 1 status.

October 1, 1998 National Capital Memorial Commission approved Area 1 – Constitutional Gardens.

January 15, 1999 BellSouth Corporation sponsored official MLK Memorial Web site http://www.mlkmemorial.org/index.html.

February 15, 1999 A poster announcing the design competition is prepared and distributed internationally to all schools of architecture, professional community of architecture, designers and artists.

March 4, 1999 The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) votes 6-5 in favor of approving the east end of Constitution Gardens as the site for the Memorial, against our recommendation and against the recommendation of their staff. At issue for the five members voting against the motion is an interest to give the Foundation an opportunity to prepare more analysis. However, it is important to note that not all members who spoke voiced their preference for the Constitution Gardens site.

April 8, 1999 The Project Team appears before the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA). Recommendation of the Tidal Basin site reviewed and the decision of the NCPC is shared with CFA. The CFA votes unanimously to reject the Constitution Gardens site as an area of consideration. Instead, they gave the Foundation a recommendation to study two additional sites, one on the west end of Constitution Gardens and another on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

October 7, 1999 Chairman Gantt asks the Commission to approve the Tidal Basin site. He also appoints Robert Gaines to chair a special task force of NCPC commissioners and Foundation members.

December 2, 1999 The NCPC votes unanimously to rescind its March 4, 1999, action approving the east end of Constitution Gardens and approves a four-acre site adjacent to the Tidal Basin along with the design parameters, as indicated in the October 21, 1999 agreement.

December 2, 1999 A design specifications package is completed and is ready for mailing to individuals registered for the design competition.

December 2, 1999 A panel of competition assessors is named. These individuals are from the professions of architecture, landscape architecture and fine arts.

- Dr. Ed Jackson, Jr., Jury Chair, American Institute of Architects, Professional Practice Division, Washington, DC

- Prof. James Chaffers, ArchD., AIA, University of Michigan, School of Architecture,
Ann Arbor, MI

- Charles Correa, Hon. FAIA, Bombay, India

- Prof. Randalf Hester, Jr., ASLA, University of California, Landscape Architecture, Berkeley, CA

- William Lawson, FAIA, General Services Administration, Washington, DC

- Prof. Jon Lockard, Artist, University of Michigan, School of Art and Design,
Ann Arbor, MI

- Karen Phillips, FASLA, Abyssinian Development Corporation, New York, NY

- Prof. LaVerne Wells-Bowie, Florida A&M University, School of Architecture, Tallahassee, FL

- Ricardo Legorreta, Hon. FAIA, Mexico City, Mexico

- Prof. Wu Liangyong, Hon. FAIA, Tsinghua University, School of Architecture, Beijing, China

- Dr. Suha Ozkan, Ankara Turkey: Secretary General, The Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Geneva, Switzerland

December 3, 1999 The site approval receives positive national media coverage, including CNN, NBC, ABC, COX, CBS and NPR. Over 78 articles are published in major newspapers, including the front page of the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and the Atlanta Journal and Constitution

 

History of the Memorial 2000-2004

September 12, 2000 The entry submitted by ROMA Design Group of San Francisco, California was selected as the winning design.

March 2001 The Foundation launched the quiet phase of the fundraising campaign. General Motors was the first major sponsor.

April 18, 2002 The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) voted in favor of the Proposed design for the Memorial.

July 2002 Morgan Freeman donated his time to create a series of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to raise awareness for the Memorial. In addition, Morgan Freeman voluntarily spoke to the media about the Memorial, including participation in an on-line discussion on Washingtonpost.com

November 2002 Under the auspices of the National Parks Service (NPS), the Foundation initiated the Environmental Assessment of the proposed site.

January 7, 2003 A public scoping meeting was convened to solicit comments and concerns about the proposed Memorial program.

May 7, 2003 Senate Majority Leader Frist hosted the launch of the national media campaign developed by the Ad Council in collaboration with the advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi. The PSAs feature Halle Berry and Al Roker.

August 28, 2003 Fortieth anniversary of historic March on Washington. Yahoo! puts Memorial on their home-page to help increase awareness for the Memorial and help drive donations to the Project.

October 28, 2003 Foundation granted Congressional extension to raise additional funds needed for ground-breaking of Memorial.

January 2004 Foundation launched Faith-based initiative

February 2004 Press briefing held to announce Devrouax and Purnell/ROMA Design Group Joint Ventures as Architects of Record

June 2004 Procter and Gamble partnership established

July 2004 Tommy Hilfiger Corporation extends loan-executive to support Foundation staff

July 2004 Ed Dwight contracted to sculpt Stone of Hope donor gifts

September 2004 American Urban Radio Network partnership established.

September 2004 Tavis Smiley produced radio PSA.
October 2004 Morgan Freeman, Samaire Armstrong, and Bishop McClendon produced individual television PSAs.

November 2004 Tommy Hilfiger Corporation produces ELC fundraising video.

 

History of the Memorial 2005-2006

January 2005 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation Announces $5 Million Fundraising Goal for Black History Month; Adds Aggressive Public Phase to "Build the Dream" Campaign.

March 29, 2005 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation and NCAA partner together: Model of MLK Memorial to be displayed at NCAA Hall of Champions.

April 1, 2005 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Launches Faith-Based Initiative on Anniversary of King Assassination; Michigan Faith-Based Community to Raise $1 Million to Help Build Memorial.

June 10, 2005 Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation Hosts Celebrity Golf Tournament to Benefit Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial; $1 Million Contribution to Help Build Major Memorial on National Mall.

June 28, 2005 Momentum Builds as U.S. Senate Votes to Provide $10 Million towards Building of Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on National Mall

August 22, 2005 "Kids for King" Program Launches to Commemorate 1963 March on Washington and ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech.
September 23, 2005 Toyota makes special announcement about the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.

November 19, 2005 San Francisco Dream Dinner Nets $2.5 Million to Memorial Project.

December 1, 2005 National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) Unanimously Approves Preliminary Design for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.

January 30, 2006 Memorial Foundation mourned the passing of Executive Leadership Cabinet Co-Chair, Coretta Scott King.

January 17, 2006 Memorial Foundation launched the Dream Keepers College Program to engage college students across the country in efforts to build a Memorial in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. The program contributed over $45,000 towards Dr. King’s Memorial. R&B recording artist Chris Brown endorsed the Memorial Project by wearing the Dream Keepers t-shirt on his website.

January, 2006 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity set 2006 fundraising goal of $300,000 towards the Memorial Project, once again exceeding their goal by 140% by contributing $421,381 dollars.

February, 2006 Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation awards grant of $25,000 to Foundation.

February 28, 2006 The Los Angeles Dream Dinner raises 3.1 million dollars for the Memorial Foundation. Disney President and CEO Bob Iger chaired the event that is held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Walt Disney Company Foundation donates 2.75 million dollars and underwrote the evening’s gala.

February, 2006 $10 million Congressional match achieved with the announcement of The Walt Disney Company Foundation donation. Senators Byrd and Cochran were the driving force behind the match.

March, 2006 Memorial Foundation partners with “Charity Folks” for an on-line fundraising auction featuring one-of-a-kind items from celebrities including Morgan Freeman, Usher, Ben Affleck, and Laurence Fishburne. The auction ended on March 31st and raised $68,000 for the Memorial Project.

March, 2006 During March 16th Commission of Fine Arts hearing the Memorial Foundation receives preliminary approval from the National Park Service to add a Visitor’s Information Center at the Memorial site which will include a Donor’s Wall to recognize our high level donors who contribute one millions dollars cash to the Memorial Project.

March, 2006 Memorial Foundation begins the purchase of long-lead items such as the selection and tagging of oak trees for the Memorial site.

April, 2006 Foundation appears before the National Capital Planning Commission on April 6th and receives praise for the beauty and grandeur of the winning design, particularly the relationship between the Mountain of Despair and the Stone of Hope. The NCPC unanimously agrees to grant the Foundation approval to proceed with the final design phase of the project.

April, 2006 State Farm Insurance donates one million dollars to the Memorial Foundation.

May, 2006 PepsiCo Foundation donates one million dollars to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.

May, 2006 Burton D. Morgan Foundation awards $50,000 grant to support Memorial Project.

May, 2006 BET commits $250,000 multi-year gift to Dr. King’s Memorial.

June, 2006 The South African government presents $100,000 check to the Memorial Foundation.

June, 2006 Faith-based direct-mail initiative launched. During 2006, the faith-based direct mail initiative and other campaigns contributed $296,000 to the Memorial Project.

July, 2006 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity re-dedicates future site of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial on anniversary of Fraternity’s Centennial Celebration.

July, 2006 ExxonMobil Foundation commemorates the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a one million dollar contribution to the National Memorial Project.

August 7, 2006 The U.S. Department of the Interior certified the documentation of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation’s ten million dollar appropriation.

August, 2006 GE announces donation of one million dollars on August 28th as the Memorial Foundation commemorate the 43rd Anniversary of the March on Washington.

August, 2006 Memorial Foundation marks anniversary of “I Have a Dream” speech by announcing 12 Kids for King National Essay Program participants to be flown to DC for the Ceremonial Groundbreaking. Kids for King National Essay Program is extended with announcement of 38 additional participants to be selected in October.

September, 2006 FedEx announces major gift of one million dollars to the Memorial Foundation.

October, 2006 38 additional Kids for King National Essay Program participants selected for a total of 50 to be flown to the November 13th Ceremonial Groundbreaking of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. The travel and hotel accommodations for each of these 50 participants and their chaperones (parents and/or guardian) were provided through the generosity of our corporate sponsors, Continental Airlines and J.W. Marriott, Jr.

October, 2006 Memorial Foundation Design Team visits China, touring granite quarries and fabrication sites.

November 13, 2006 Thousands attend the Ceremonial Groundbreaking on the National Mall co-hosted by Tavis Smiley and Soledad O’Brien. Those in attendance include Presidents Bush and Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Senator Barack Obama, Diane Sawyer, Dr. King’s children - Yolanda, Martin III and Bernice, Members of the President’s Cabinet, Members of Congress, Greek-letter organization leaders and members, various civil rights icons, spiritual leaders, corporate sponsors, families and friends celebrate the historic event. Kathleen Battle sang the National Anthem while entertainment was provided by BeBe Winans, Naomi and Wynonna Judd, Byron Cage and The Ebenezer AME Church Choir.

November 13, 2006 National Dream Dinner Gala is held at the Kennedy Center the evening of the Ceremonial Groundbreaking. Hosted by Nick Cannon, hundreds of supporters, corporate sponsors, family and friends were entertained by Gladys Knight and Michael Bolton. The event raised 7.2 million dollars gross and netted 5.2 million dollars for the Memorial Foundation.

November, 2006 Dallas Faith-based initiative contributes over $135,000 to the Memorial Project.

December, 2006 GE donates additional “end-of-the-year” gift of $200,000 to Memorial Foundation.

December, 2006 Council of Historians recommends Dr. King’s words for the Memorial.

 

History of the Memorial 2007

January 5, 2007 Executives, supporters and sponsors of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial rang the NYSE Opening Bell to kick off the inaugural year of construction of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.

January 14, 2007 CIGNA, Shell Oil Company, and the Verizon Foundation will each announce a $1 million contribution tomorrow to help build a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. on the National Mall. The $3 million in new contributions will increase the Memorial’s fund-raising total to $76 million with a needed $120 million to complete the project.

January 15, 2007 Sony Pictures today announced the company will donate 2.5% (approximately $650,000) of the opening weekend box office receipts of STOMP THE YARD to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation.

February 15, 2007 The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. is proud to announce the selected quotations from Dr. King's writing, sermons and speeches to be engraved onto the Memorial Wall. The Foundation will also announce the sculptor who will carve the image of Dr. King into the Stone of Hope.

January 15, 2007 The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation announced today the selected quotations from Dr. King’s writing, sermons and speeches that will be permanently engraved into memorial walls. In addition, the Memorial Foundation announced Master Lei Yixin as the Sculptor of Record who will carve the image of Dr. King into the ‘Stone of Hope’, the centerpiece of the Memorial.

- Memorial Foundation’s “Council of Historians” selected quotations that best reflect King’s ideals of hope, democracy, and love, the three main themes of the memorial.

February 20, 2007 TV One and the Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation announced today that TV One has signed as an official media partner of the initiative to build a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. on the National Mall. As a media partner to the Memorial Project Foundation, TV One will help build awareness of the planned memorial and raise donations from consumers interested in supporting it.

February 27, 2007 The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced today that the National Association of Realtors (NAR) will donate $1 million to help build the King memorial on the National Mall. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Congressman James E. Clyburn, and Congressman John Lewis participated in the afternoon ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

April 26, 2007 In Memoriam - Jack Valenti

On behalf of the Executive Leadership Cabinet (ELC), Board of Directors and staff of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc we express our deepest sympathy on the death of our friend and ELC member, Jack Valenti. He was a tremendous supporter of the Memorial Project and will truly be missed.

May 7, 2007 The Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project moved another step closer to the needed $120 million for its completion as a result of a $1 million contribution by Prudential Financial, Inc.

May 15, 2007 The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced today that Tommy Hilfiger, Russell Simmons, Quincy Jones, Joel Horowitz, David Stern and Edgar Bronfman, Jr. will spearhead a one-night only concert to benefit the building of Dr. King’s Memorial on the National Mall. The Dream Concert will be an historic gathering of all-star musicians to be announced in the near future.

May 15, 2007 In Memoriam - Yolanda King

On behalf of the Executive Leadership Cabinet (ELC), Board of Directors and staff of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc., we mourn the loss of Yolanda King who fought for racial harmony.

May 24, 2007 The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced today it will host a June 27 Houston Dream Dinner to help raise the remaining funds to build the memorial on the National Mall. Dinner Co-Chairs include boxing legend George Foreman, Shell Oil Co. President John Hofmeister, Continental Airlines Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner, and BP America, Inc. CEO Robert A. Malone, Jeff Moseley, President and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, is also playing a major role in helping organize the dinner.

June 5, 2007 The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced today that the McKissack & McKissack / Turner Construction Company / Gilford Corporation / Tompkins Builders, Inc. Joint Venture will serve as the Design-Build team for the memorial.
June 20, 2007 The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced today that Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Carlos Santana, Robin Thicke, Bebe Winans, Cece Winans and Jessye Norman are the first performers to join the all-star line up for The Dream Concert to benefit the building of the Memorial on the National Mall. The Foundation also announced Al Roker as a special guest presenter and Ben Affleck, Shaquille O’Neal and LaDanian Tomlinson have agreed to join the Concert’s Host Committee. The Dream Concert will be held at Radio City Music Hall on September 18, 2007, with tickets available to the general public this summer. Go to http://www.thedreamconcert.com for more information.

June 23, 2007 The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced today that Garth Brooks, Joss Stone, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, and Queen Latifah have joined the all-star line up for The Dream Concert to benefit the building of the Memorial on the National Mall. Tickets for The Dream Concert, which will be held at Radio City Music Hall on September 18, 2007 at 8 p.m. ,go on sale to the public on Monday, July 30th at 9:00 a.m.

June 23, 2007 Georgia Congressmen John Lewis and Hank Johnson joined Harry E. Johnson, President and CEO of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc., on a tour of Stone Mountain, GA on Sunday, July 22. They surveyed granite quarries to explore potential stone to be used for the four-acre King memorial which will be situated on the National Mall. Stone Mountain is the site symbolically referenced by Dr. King in his historic “I Have a Dream” speech.

 

History of the Memorial 2008

January 15, 2008 A press conference was held by New York City Ministers announcing their joint back of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Co-conveners of the press conference, Reverends Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, Dr. Floyd H. Flake, Dr. James A. Forbes, and Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, joined forces as a Host Committee to publicly announce their support of the “Build the Dream” campaign, with each making a personal pledge of $10,000 toward the $500,000.00 goal to be accomplished by NYC ministers and houses of worships.

January 18, 2008 The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. today launches The "Build the Dream Blog" to blog on going efforts to "Build The Dream," as well as news and events related to those efforts - and, of course, to Dr. King.

January 21, 2008 Harry E. Johnson, Sr., President and CEO of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, was joined by President George W. Bush to commemorate the King Holiday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC.

January 21, 2008 "Dream Keepers" College Program, an initiative to engage college students across the country in efforts to build a memorial in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. on the prestigious National Mall in Washington, DC. is re-launched.

January 30, 2008 The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) announced a $3 million donation to the Washington, DC, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc in honor of Black History Month. The WKKF gift signifies the largest private foundation contribution for the Memorial. Martin Luther King, III, Harry E. Johnson, Sr., President and CEO of the Memorial Foundation, and Sterling Speirn, President of the WKKF, announced the donation in an audio call with reporters.

February 11, 2008 The CW11/WPIX, Tribune Broadcasting's New York CW affiliate announced it will honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with an original special “Justice, Equality & Hope: Legacy of Martin Luther King” on Saturday, February 23 at 10:30pm and April 4 at 10:30pm. The program, hosted by CW11 Morning News’ Tiffany McElroy, profiles Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and takes a historical look at the confluence of events that helped shape the Civil Rights movement.

February 14, 2008
The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. today announced a $1 million donation by the Pfizer Foundation to help build the memorial. The check presentation took place at the Pfizer world-wide headquarters in New York where Harry E. Johnson, Sr, President and CEO of the Memorial Foundation joined several senior Pfizer executives for the announcement.

February 29, 2008
The African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) was honored in Washington, DC for spearheading a national fundraising effort among credit unions from across the country. The total donations from credit unions to the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc have reached $1.2 million.

April 4, 2008 The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. today relaunches www.April4.org to commemorate the assasination of Dr. King.

April 4, 2008 The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. today launches The March to Build the Dream" a "Friends Asking Friends" which brings friends and families together to form teams and help raise money to support the foundation.

June 5, 2008 The King Center to be Honored at Atlanta ‘Dream Dinner’ for Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Click here to read the press release.

June 12, 2008 The Coca-Cola Company, Nationwide Insurance, Delta Air Lines to Participate in June 19th Atlanta ‘Dream Dinner’ for Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Click here to read the press release.

June 20, 2008 Nationwide Foundation Donates $1 Million at the Atlanta Dream Dinner Lifting Funds to $94.8 Million. Click here to read the press release.

July 29, 2008 In Memoriam - Alfred C. Bailey. Statement by Harry E. Johnson, Sr. President and CEO Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. on the death of Alfred C. Bailey.

July 31, 2008 Celebrities, Athletes, Politicians Join Forces in Clear Channel Radio’s Radiothon for Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Click here to read press release.

August 12, 2008 Verizon Begins Phase 1 Site Preparation for Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial on Eve of March on Washington 45th Anniversary. Click here to read the press release.

September 18, 2008 Statement from Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation about U.S. Commission of Fine Arts Approval of Memorial Design. Click here to read the statement.

October 1, 2008 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation Submits Request for Construction Permit to The National Park Service. Click here to read the press release.

November 14, 2008 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Dream Campaign Heads to Miami. Click here here to read the press release.

November 19, 2008 President Bill Clinton to Headline Miami Dream Dinner for Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Click here to read the press release.

Novermber 20, 2008 $12.5 Million Letter of Credit from Wal-Mart Foundation to Expedite Construction of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Click here to read the press release.

November 25, 2008 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation Leadership to Provide Briefing to Civil Rights Pioneers. Click here to read the press release.

December 4, 2008 Civil Rights Pioneers Visit Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Site and Vow to Support Memorial. Click here to read the press release.

December 8, 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. National Foundation Announces $1 Million Gift from UnitedHealth Group. . Click here to read the press release.

 

History of the Memorial 2009-2011

January 9, 2009 Former President Bill Clinton, Knight Foundation, and South Floridians Join In Miami To Build Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Click here to read the press release.

January 14, 2009 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial to Host February 17 Chicago Dream Dinner. Boeing and Exelon Foundation to Co-Chair Event. Click here to read the press release.

January 17, 2009 Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation Announces $1.25 Million Gift from Travelers. Click here to read the press release.

January 19, 2009 Exelon Foundation Donates $1 Million To Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial On Dr. King's Holiday. Click here to read the press release.

February 5, 2009 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Dream Campaign Heads To Chicago. Click here to read the press release.

February 19, 2009 Illinois Corporations, Foundations, Politicians Turn Out in Chicago Click here to read the press release.

March 17, 2009 Memorial Foundation Launches “Facebook” to Assist With Fundraising Efforts. Click here to read the press release.

April 2, 2009 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Implements “Text Messaging” as an Effective Fundraising Tool. Click here to read the press release.

May 4, 2009 In Memorial - Jack Kemp
We were all saddened to learn of the death of Mr. Jack Kemp on Saturday, May 2, 2009.
As a member of both the Executive Leadership Cabinet (ELC) and Board of Directors of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King. Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation Inc., Mr. Kemp provided invaluable advice and counsel to the Memorial Foundation for over ten years. He was also a very vocal supporter of the need to build a national memorial to honor Dr. King -- someone he referenced on many occasions over the years when recounting his experiences during the infancy of the civil rights struggle.

We will sincerely miss Mr. Kemp's wisdom and untiring support of our efforts and hope his family and friends will find comfort in the coming days, knowing he was a great American and a great friend to us all.

Our condolences and deepest sympathies are extended to his family.

Harry E. Johnson, Sr.
President & CEO

August 12, 2009 U.S. Secretary Arne Duncan to speak at live press conference commemorating the 46th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. King’s famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Click here to read the press release.

September 23, 2009 NFL Players Association has pledged to raise and donate $1 million to the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. Click here to read this press release.

October 29, 2009 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today signed a permit allowing construction of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall. Click here to read this press release.

December 17, 2009 Charles A. Harvey, Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls, Vice President, Diversity and Public Affairs, announced the donation of $100,000 at the Travis Point Country Club in Ann Arbor, MI. Click here to read the press release.

March 31, 2010 The leadership of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation announced today an extension of the Kids For King Education Initiative. Click here to read this press release.

April 20, 2010 In Memoriam – Dr. Dorothy Height

On behalf of the Executive Leadership Cabinet, the Board of Directors and the staff of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. we wish to extend our sincere condolences on the passing of Dr. Dorothy Height.

Dr. Height worked very closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., her voice is one that was a constent reminder of equality and one of advocacy.

Dr. Height was an ardent supporter of the efforts to build a National Memorial honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Like many Americans we shall miss her sage wisdom and more so, her presence, when we dedicate the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in the third quarter of 2011.

We at the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation will miss her tremendously.

Harry E. Johnson, Sr.
President & CEO

April 28, 2010 PEPCO Donates $300,000 to Build Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. Click here to read the press release.

May 7, 2010 Delta Air Lines Employees and Customers Raised $1 Million for the MLK Memorial. Click here to read the press release.

June 3, 2010 New "MLK Construction Cam" is up and running; providing current photos of the construction site on the National Mall.Click here to read the press release.

June 28, 2010 In Memoriam – Senator Robert C. Byrd

WASHINGTON, DC -- On behalf of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. we wish to extend our sincere condolences on the passing of Senator Robert Byrd.

In June 2005, Senator Byrd was instrumental in securing federal funding to help build the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Senator Byrd once commented that he came to understand and believe that Dr. King’s dream was the American dream.

We at the Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial will always remember the important contribution Senator Byrd made to the building of this historic memorial in the true spirit of equality for all Americans.

Harry E. Johnson, Sr.
President & CEO

July 30, 2010 The MLK Construction Section of the “Build the Dream” website has launched. The new section includes construction updates, an interactive timeline, and The MLK Construction Cam. Click here to visit the Construction Section of the website and check back often as new features will be added to the section.

September 16, 2010 The LEADERSHIP of the WASHINGTON, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced nine student winners of the Kids for King Education Initiative during an event on the National Mall. Click here to read the press release on this event.

September 28, 2010 Nicholas Benson, Stone Carver for Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Wins Prestigious Macarthur Foundation "Genius" Grant. Read more.

October 8, 2010 Bernice King and Martin Luther King, III, children of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Visits Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Site. Read more.

November 11, 2010 Ambassador Andrew Young Tours Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Site. Read more.

December 1, 2010 Members of the press are invited to an exclusive, hard-hat tour of the site.

March 3, 2011 MTTG Joint Venture Donates $1M to MLK Memorial Foundation, Creates Regional Scholarship Program for High School Seniors. Read More.

March 9, 2011 ROMA Design Group Visits MLK Memorial Site. Read More.

May 10, 2011 MLK Memorial Foundation Announces Plans for August 28 MLK Memorial Dedication Read More.

 

I encourage you to click the link for this article to hear MLK speak...

http://www.mlkmemorial.org/site/c.hkIUL9MVJxE/b.7548981/k.A18B/Dr_Kings_Spiritual_Presence.htm

Dr. King's Spiritual Presence

Dr. Martin Luther King is remembered as a great orator whose impact on the nation came from the eloquence and inspirational quality of his words. His speeches, sermons and public addresses melded themes of democracy deeply embedded in the American conscience, and reinvigorated these messages with clear and insightful reflections on the true meaning of justice and equality.

Proposed MLK Memorial Site
The Jefferson Memorial as seen from the Stone of Hope.

Within the memorial, quotes from Dr. King's sermons and speeches, are inscribed at a large scale on the smooth surfaces of the inscription wall. These passages will be reinforced through the referential use of water, stone, landscaping and light as metaphorical elements that heighten an awareness of his message.

All of the senses will be engaged through the experience of the memorial, and, foremost, through the visual perception of space, using contrast and juxtaposition, scale and height and the bold display of carefully selected words expressing his spirit. The inspirational text and the mood created by the sound of the water, its cooling mists, and the visual complexity of the contrasting rough and smooth surfaces of stone, the gradual changes in grade and the patterns of light and darkness will dramatically underscore the visual sense of the man and the qualities of courage, conviction and leadership that characterize his life and work.

Added to these powerful sensory experiences will be a sculptural representation of Dr. King himself. This is not conceived of as a pure figurative depiction of his physical being, separate and apart from other elements, but rather would give another dimension and layer of meaning to the experience of the memorial as a whole. Dr. King will appear as an integral part of the "Stone of Hope", as if he embodies the stone itself. He will be positioned on the side of the stone facing the Jefferson Memorial and will be gradually revealed as part of the procession towards the Tidal Basin.

"There are two types of laws: there are just laws and there are unjust laws...What is the difference between the two?...An unjust law is a man-made code that is out of harmony with the moral law...Paul Tillich has said that sin is separation. Isn't segregation an existential expression of man's tragic separation, an expression of his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness?"

– Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963

At first, as one enters the main space, the central stone will appear somehow cleft from the stones flanking the portal entry, but pushed forward so as to be visually isolated from the rest of the memorial grounds.

As one gets closer to the monolith, its rough hewn edges toward the memorial will begin to take on a vaguely familiar contour, recognizable, but not entirely clear.

Finally, as one looks back to the inscription wall and main space from the stone, the image of Dr. King will be fully revealed. He will be seen looking across the Tidal Basin. This representation will stir the emotions, transcend the physical and symbolic and directly engage the imagination of the viewer.

World peace through nonviolent means is neither absurd nor unattainable. All other methods have failed. Thus we must begin anew. Nonviolence is a good starting point. Those of us who believe in this method can be voices of reason, sanity, and understanding amid the voices of violence, hatred, and emotion. We can very well set a mood of peace out of which a system of peace can be built.

– Martin Luther King, Jr. December 1964

The entire memorial invokes the memory and spiritual presence of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through the visual experience of place, reinforced by the full range of sensory perception, the metaphorical use of water, stone and other landscape elements, the powerful display of passages from his sermons and speeches and the appearance of his physical image in the "Stone of Hope".

 

Thanks, Qnet.

 

I'm glad you liked it. I'm also glad I came across it. I agree...they did a great job with the virtual tour. I love the way the memorial came together so beautifully. His memorial being there is HUGE, & it's about damn time IMO.