The next stop on our memorial tour was the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
On August 28, 2011, on the 48th anniversary of his "I Have a Dream" speech, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial was supposed to be dedicated, but had to be postponed for two months because of Hurricane Irene. The dedication did occur on October 16, 2011, the 16th anniversary of the 1995 Million Man March.
As you walk toward the memorial you see fourteen quotes from King's speeches, sermons, and writings on the 450-feet long granite wall...
seven on each side of the "Stone of Hope".
which is based on a line from King's "I Have a Dream" speech: "Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope." which is inscribed on the side of the 30-foot relief of Dr. King.
Visitors figuratively walk through the Mountain of Despair on their way to the Stone of Hope, symbolically as Dr. King did during his life.
It really is an imposing sight...
The Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial is located at the intersection of Independence Ave and West Basin Drive SW. You can visit 24 hours a day. The nearest metro stop is Smithsonian.
All photos in this blog post were taken by my husband and me during our visit in September, 2013.
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