Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

For other memorials, see List of memorials to Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
The Stone of Hope at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Map
38°53′10″N 77°2′39″W / 38.88611°N 77.04417°W / 38.88611; -77.04417
Location1964 Independence Ave. SW,
Washington, D.C.
DesignerLei Yixin
MaterialSoftened White Granite
Length1000
Width1000
Height30 ft (9.1 m)
Beginning date2009
Completion date2019
Opening dateAugust 22, 2011
Dedicated toMartin Luther King Jr.
WebsiteMartin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is a national memorial located in West Potomac Park next to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States.[1] It covers four acres (1.6 ha) and includes the Stone of Hope, a granite statue of civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr. carved by sculptor Lei Yixin. The inspiration for the memorial design is a line from King's "I Have a Dream" speech: "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." The memorial opened to the public on August 22, 2011, after more than two decades of planning, fundraising, and construction.[2][3]

This national memorial is the 395th unit in the United States National Park Service.[4] The monumental memorial is located at the northwest corner of the Tidal Basin near the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, on a sightline linking the Lincoln Memorial to the northwest and the Jefferson Memorial to the southeast. The official address of the monument, 1964 Independence Avenue, S.W., commemorates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[5]

A ceremony dedicating the memorial was scheduled for Sunday, August 28, 2011, the 48th anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" speech that Martin Luther King Jr. delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963[6] but was postponed until October 16 (the 16th anniversary of the 1995 Million Man March on the National Mall) due to Hurricane Irene.[7][8][9]

Although this is not the first memorial to an African American in Washington, D.C., King is the first African American honored with a memorial on or near the National Mall and only the fourth non-President to be memorialized in such a way. The King Memorial is administered by the National Park Service (NPS).

  1. ^ "The National Mall". National Mall Plan (PDF). Vol. Foundation statement for the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Park. National Park Service. pp. 6–10. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
  2. ^ Tavernise, Sabrina (August 23, 2011). "A Dream Fulfilled, Martin Luther King Memorial Opens". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Cooper, Rachel. "Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC: Building a Memorial Honoring Martin Luther King Jr". About.com. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on April 1, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  4. ^ Adam Fetcher; David Barna; Carol Johnson (August 29, 2011). "National Park Service Press Release: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Becomes 395th National Park". nps.gov. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  5. ^ "Build the Dream". Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. Archived from the original on September 19, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  6. ^ "Lincoln Memorial". We Shall Overcome: Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary. National Park Service. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  7. ^ "Dedication of MLK Memorial postponed by hurricane". USA Today. Associated Press. August 25, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
  8. ^ Weil, Martin (September 11, 2011). "MLK memorial dedication set for Oct. 16". The Washington Post. Post Local. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
  9. ^ "New date set for MLK memorial dedication". CBS News. Associated Press. September 14, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2011.