PROGRAM SUCCESS – SEPTEMBER 2011
PAGE 5
The Dedication of the
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Statue
Rescheduled for October 16, 2001
on the National Mall
Not many Americans would have ever dreamed that Martin Luther King Jr
would one day find himself honoured alongside two of America’s best-known
and best-loved presidents. But Dr King is soon to stand shoulder to shoulder
with Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson when a statue of the slain civil
rights leader is unveiled in the National Mall in Washington, DC.
The memorial will be positioned in a direct line between those dedicated to
legendary former leaders Jefferson and Lincoln in the open-air national park,
where King delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech in 1963. Dedication
of the memorial will take place on October 16, 2011 after being postponed in
August because of Hurricane Irene.
As part of the memorial, a 450-foot inscription wall will feature more than a
dozen of Dr. King’s famous quotes engraved into granite. “We are thrilled that
we will be dedicating the Memorial to Dr King, and the Foundation looks
forward, with great pride, to presenting this Memorial - this dream - that we’ve
worked to build, to the people,’ said Harry Johnson Sr, President of the MLK
Memorial Foundation.
“Dr King, his life, his dream, and his legacy, is a source of history I’m very
much looking forward to celebrating as a momentous event with my fellow
Americans and people around the world who understand what this memorial
stands for, and the relevance of Dr. King’s message.”
A 30-foot statue of Martin Luther King, Jr
is to be unveiled in the National Mall in
Washington, DC, where the slain civil rights
leader gave his famous ‘I Have a Dream’
speech in 1963
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
King, who was assassinated in April 1968,
was a prominent leader in the African
American civil rights movement. He
became the youngest person to receive the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and was
posthumously awarded the Presidential
Medal of Freedom in 1977.
Martin Luther King, Jr is a heroic leader in
the history of modern American liberalism.
His tireless and impassioned campaigning
in the African American civil rights
movement lead to the ending of racial
segregation and racial discrimination.
In 1964 he became the youngest ever person
to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his
achievements using non-violent methods.
Twenty-five years in the making, King’s
memorial will be the first memorial on the
National Mall to honour a non-U.S.
President. It will contain excerpts of his
sermons and public addresses to serve as
living testaments of his vision of America.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Washington Mall delivering his famous
“I Have A Bream” speech in 1963
The centrepiece of the memorial, the
towering Stone of Hope, will feature a 30-
foot likeness of Dr King. A replica was
unveiled earilier this month at the Charles
H. Wright Museum of African American
History in Detroit.