Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial unveiled

Washington, D.C. - The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is revealed to members of the press before opening to the public today. The design is derived from part of King's famous "I have a dream" speech when he said, "With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope." The memorial sits by the tidal basin between the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials.



King memorial opens to the public today

The first members of the public to see the official opening of Washington’s new $120 million memorial to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. walked in quietly, smiling but “so slow it was like we were coming to see a body,” said Weldon Ferguson of the District.

What they saw instead was stone and water, words and an iconic image on a picture-perfect summer day along the Tidal Basin. Some were weeping. Others were taking pictures of the statue and each other and giving high-fives, lending the unveiling of the memorial the feeling of one big block party.

“It’s beautiful, exquisite,” said Paulette Davis of Washington. “I’m remembering where he led us. This exceeded my expectations.”

More than 25 years in the making, the granite memorial features a 30-foot-tall statue of King on a landscaped parcel on the northwest shore of the Tidal Basin, just southwest of the World War II Memorial.

READ MORE

Son says MLK's dream being realized

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.

-- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington, August 1963

Today the nation celebrates what would have been the 80th birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. The next day, the civil rights leader's dream will approach reality when the nation inaugurates its first African-American president. "With the election of Barack Obama, our nation has powerfully and decisively struck down a monumental barrier," says Martin Luther King III. "This moment serves as proof to the power of faith in ourselves and each other.

"It is proof that the idea of an America where no one will be judged by the color of their skin is real, tangible and something we can work towards in our lives. Let me be clear, it is delusional to think that centuries of pain and struggle endured by many in this country will somehow vanquish on Jan. 21. "This new presidency symbolizes a task accomplished, a hope achieved or a dream realized. It also signals that we have progress toward the summit of that mountaintop much sooner than any of us could have imagined."


1968 - Martin Luther King's Prophetic Last speech - Remember


On Sunday, King hosted the fourth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration and Realizing the Dream Award Celebration at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. The event honored Sen. Ted Kennedy, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the Rev. Claude Black and Nobel Peace Prize winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The event, featuring a performance by BeBe Winans, was attended by Harry Belafonte, Al Sharpton and Andrew Young.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.