Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC will honor Dr. King’s national and international contributions and vision for all to enjoy a life of freedom, opportunity, and justice.
The design gave form to a line from Dr. King’s “Dream” speech — “With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”
Dr. King is seen emerging from the stone of hope. A 30-foot statue of Dr. King gazes into the horizon, concentrating on the future and hope for humanity. The two towering mounds set slightly behind him, forming a sort of passageway to the statue, are mountains of despair. The sculpture was carved from 159 granite blocks that were assembled to appear as one singular peace. There is also a 450-foot inscription wall, made from granite panels, that is inscribed with 14 excerpts of King's sermons and public addresses to serve as living testaments of his vision of America.
It is the first major memorial along the National Mall to be dedicated to an African-American, and to a non-president. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial opened to the public on August 22, 2011. These photos were taken on August 24, 2011.
[ click on the SLIDESHOW bar on the far right for a full frame view ]
Read MoreThe design gave form to a line from Dr. King’s “Dream” speech — “With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”
Dr. King is seen emerging from the stone of hope. A 30-foot statue of Dr. King gazes into the horizon, concentrating on the future and hope for humanity. The two towering mounds set slightly behind him, forming a sort of passageway to the statue, are mountains of despair. The sculpture was carved from 159 granite blocks that were assembled to appear as one singular peace. There is also a 450-foot inscription wall, made from granite panels, that is inscribed with 14 excerpts of King's sermons and public addresses to serve as living testaments of his vision of America.
It is the first major memorial along the National Mall to be dedicated to an African-American, and to a non-president. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial opened to the public on August 22, 2011. These photos were taken on August 24, 2011.
[ click on the SLIDESHOW bar on the far right for a full frame view ]