HIS POWERFUL GIFT OF SPEECH...

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.

MARTIN LUTHER KING AT THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

To mark the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, the National Portrait Gallery is holding an exhibition titled One Life: Martin Luther King, Jr. through June 1, 2014.

The exhibition's curator: "...In his thirteen years of public life as an advocate for civil rights, economic opportunity, and world peace, King motivated others not only by communicating his vision for a brighter future but by acting boldly to challenge injustice. Despite enormous odds and the ever-present risk of failure, King led by example, exhibiting courage and character as he maintained his steadfast commitment to nonviolent resistance and direct action."

Along with memorabilia from the National Portrait Gallery collection, the one-room exhibition contains historic photographs tracing the trajectory of King's career.

Martin Luther King Jr. with Coretta Scott King and their daughter Yolanda on the steps of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in 1956.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy ride the first integrated bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1956.

King after being arrested in Albany, Georgia in July, 1962 for peaceful demonstrations outside the local city hall. Although sentenced to 45 days in jail, the local sheriff ordered his release after 3 days.

King watches as President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 2, 1964. He received one of the pens used to sign the bill.

Martin Luther King receives the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

Martin Luther King along with Dr. Benjamin Spock (left) in an anti-Vietnam march in NYC in 1967.

The National Portrait Gallery tells the stories of America through the individuals who have shaped U.S. culture through the visual arts, performing arts, and new media.

The National Portrait Gallery is conveniently located at Eighth and F Streets NW, in Washington D.C., above the Gallery Place–Chinatown Metrorail station (red, yellow, and green lines).

Open: 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily. Closed Christmas Day.

Admission is always FREE at the National Portrait Gallery.

For more information about the Martin Luther King exhibition, click here.

Click here to visit the National Portrait Gallery's website.

All photos in this blog post were taken by my husband during our visit in September, 2013.