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First look at the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in DC
On August 28, 48 years to the day that Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his legendary "I Have a Dream" speech, the nation's capital will dedicate a memorial to him on the National Mall. The Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial will be the first memorial on the Mall dedicated to an African-American and the first solo memorial for a non-president.The MLK Memorial is located on four acres on the Tidal Basin, site of Washington's famous Japanese cherry trees, and sits within a "line of leadership" between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. The line ties Dr. King to President Lincoln, author of the Emancipation Proclamation and on whose memorial Dr. King gave his "Dream" speech, and Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence. "Peace" and "independence" are two of the main themes of the MLK Memorial, even down to the Memorial's official address. The street number in the address 1964 Independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20024 refers to the Civil Right's Act of 1964.
Although it does not open for another week, would-be visitors can watch the construction cam to watch workers put the finishing touches on the King Memorial. The video below also provides more information about the memorial, its location, design, and landscaping.
[Photo credit www.mlkmemorial.org]
Filed under: North America, United States
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Duke Aug 20th 2011 11:59AM
I wonder if a white man that only helped the white race would get a monument erected to him.
flame away, but its a good question.
There has been alot of peaceful people in this country.
Patrick Aug 20th 2011 1:55PM
It's only a good question if you're ignorant. If you don't live in an alternate, fact-free, universe you know that in Washington DC alone there is the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Memorial for FDR, and the George Mason Memorial. Last time I checked those guys were white
Kristopher Aug 20th 2011 6:26PM
Dr. King did not only help the black community. His fight for a more egalitarian society though his Poor Peoples' Campaign was aimed at helping all poor people, not just blacks. He also objected strongly to a war (Vietnam) that killed over 58,000 Americans of all races, as well as millions of Vietnamese. Yes, he is best known for his fight for civil rights, but that was by no means his only fight. You're criticizing a man you obviously know nothing about.
kim Aug 20th 2011 6:25PM
MLK was about equality of all people and justice given to people who were treated horribly by the ugly ignorance of racism. He acted in the love of Jesus Christ who though he was spit at beaten and put in prison, he did not fight with violence but with love and peace. He, unlike Christ was only a man. He was on the side of righteousness and prevailed. Now had it not been for his contributions the tremendous amounts of contributions black people have made to this country from the first street lights, to the first toilets, multiple uses of peanuts, amazing medical contributions and the blue print of Washington DC itself to name a few. Not to mention the slave labor, cowboys and war heroes who have done an incredible service not just to black people but for all people who live in the now free USA. There are many statues of people who only intended to do for their own race. Yet MLK was not one of them. So I ask you, do you really believe that your question was as good or intellectually sound as you originally thought?
duke Aug 21st 2011 11:14AM
If MLK was white would he get this statue?
I did not say there were "other" monuments kris, or the fact they were white. The men you named formed a country in its infancy.
the post was to question if A white man did what MLK did would he have a statue.
Simple answer: No
vietnam has no bearing on this, or his "thoughts" on vietnam. Millions opposed vietnam, and as A nation it was our worst hour. Vets came home and were spitted on- where was MLK?
King stated that North Vietnam "did not begin to send in any large number of supplies or men until American forces had arrived in the tens of thousands". King also criticized the United States' resistance to North Vietnam's land reforms. He accused the United States of having killed a million Vietnamese, "mostly children."
The speech was a reflection of King's evolving political advocacy in his later years, which paralleled the teachings of the progressive Highlander Research and Education Center, with whom King was affiliated. King began to speak of the need for fundamental changes in the political and economic life of the nation. Towards the time of his murder, King more frequently expressed his opposition to the war and his desire to see a redistribution of resources to correct racial and economic injustice. Though his public language was guarded, so as to avoid being linked to communism by his political enemies, in private he sometimes spoke of his support for democratic socialism. In one speech, he stated that "something is wrong with capitalism" and claimed, "There must be a better distribution of wealth, and maybe America must move toward a democratic socialism."
He wanted redistribution of wealth why?
socialism is a watered down version of COMMUNISIM.
MLK does not deserve a statue.
MLK has some good Ideas and basically was a good man. He served his own interest more than you know. Ignorant of MLK, No, opinion differs from yours? Yes.
Kim- MLK was a follower of Gandhi, and acted as Gandhi did in his country.
As a model that is.
I would have liked to have met MLK,but not erect a monument to him in washington DC.
Bill Aug 20th 2011 8:45PM
Duke, likely biased and obviously uninformed you are my friend. MLK was not only about the freedom, justice, and equality for African Americans but for the Peace and Unity of all nationalities black and white. Today there are MANY who are still confused and misunderstood about who MLK was and what he really stood for.
Jim Aug 22nd 2011 12:27PM
I have to state my disappointment at the design of the statue of MLK that is planned for the memorial. Standing with one's arms crossed and feet apart signifies body language that seeks confrontation and portrays stubborness.
Although MLK did confront injustice, I don't believe that the statue captures his vision. If we take him at his word in his famous speech, he wanted a country where people of various races can live in peace side-by-side.
The attitude portrayed in the statue better reflects those of modern-day civil rights leaders who seek retribution for the wrongs inflicted on their race. The error in that point of view is that both those wronged and those who committed the wrongs are mostly in the past. Today's people fit neither of these categories. Desire for revenge has become a license aggressive dependency. The modern day civil rights movement has become an end unto itself.