On August 22, 2011, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial opened to the public and I wanted to visit it on this opening day. The dedication ceremony for the memorial will be held on Sunday August 28, 2011, which is the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Site is located just beyond the Northwest corner of the Tidal Basin, by Independence Ave and West Basin Drive. It's location about midway between the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial which is in a relatively straight line seen from an aerial view. The location signifies part of the area in the nation's march toward freedom.
It was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that Dr. King delivered his first national address "Give Us the Ballot." Then Dr. King returned to the Lincoln Memorial in supporting the March on Washington in 1963, where in a defining moment in the movement for civil rights, Dr King delivered his memorable "I Have a Dream" speech before an audience of over 200, 000 people.
Dr King's speech was a reflection of his belief in the words of the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence which he referred to as that "promissory note to which every American was to fall heir."
The figure of Dr King emerges from the granite Stone of Hope which stands 28 feet 6 inches, and is the work of Master sculptor Lei Yixin. The statue is a testament to Dr King's courageous leadership in the civil rights movement, as said "I was a drum major for justice peace and righteousness." The Mountain of Despair serves as the central entrance to the memorial, with water descending from fountains on either side representing vitality and life. The Stone of Hope with Dr King's resolute figure is past the Mountain of Despair and faces the Tidal Basin and symbolizing opportunities for advancement in the future. The selected quotations on the inscription walls speak of the four main messages of Dr King which are justice, democracy, hope, and love.
Many people visited and were moved by the memorial. I visited late in the afternoon yet was drawn back to the memorial to capture it again during sunset, and so these pictures show the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial during night and day. It seems to suggest the movement from darkness to the light. How fitting that one of my favorite quotations on the inscription walls says: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that."
View the photos larger individually or in a slide show at this gallery.
http://www.mlkmemorial.org/
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