Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial
From Open Encyclopedia
The Martin Luther King Jr., National Memorial is a new memorial to be constructed in Washington, D.C., which will be a permanent testament to American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr..
The memorial will have three underlying themes: justice, democracy and hope--highlighted by the use of water, stone and trees respectively throughout the memorial.
King will be the first African American honored with his own memorial in the National Mall area and the second non-President to be commemorated in such a way. The King Memorial will be administered by the National Park Service.
Contents |
Location and Structure
The King Memorial will be located on a four-acre site on the National Mall that borders the Tidal Basin. It will be adjacent to the Roosevelt Memorial and will create a visual "line of leadership" from the Lincoln Memorial, where King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington, to the Jefferson Memorial. Image:Washington mlk map.jpg The centerpiece of the design features a figure of King emerging from a rough-hewn Image:MLK stone.jpg boulder in a landscape of large stones, flowing water and cherry trees. The groundbreaking is scheduled for November 2006 with a goal of dedicating the Memorial in 2008.
The memorial will contain 24 niches (semicircular nave-like shapes) along the upper walkway to commemorate the contribution of the many individuals that gave their lives in different ways to the civil rights movement – from Medgar Evers to the four children murdered in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham.
A random number of the niches will be left open and incomplete, allowing additional niches to be dedicated as new events unfold in the dynamic civil rights movement.
History
In 1968, immediately after King's death, officials of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity proposed erecting a permanent memorial to King in Washington D.C.. Their efforts gathered strength in 1986, after his birthday became a national holiday and led to the creation of the memorial foundation.
In 1998, United States Congress set aside land on the National Mall and authorized King's fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, to lead the project and gave it until November 2003 to raise $100 million and break ground.
In 1999 the National Capital Planning Commission and The Commission of Fine Arts approved the site location for the memorial.
In 2000, the design, by a San Francisco-based architectural firm, was selected out of 900 candidates, from 52 countries.
In 2001, a full-time fundraising team begin the fundraising and promotional campaign for the memorial.
In 2003, the $100 million fundraising deadline was extended by a congressional order.
In 2005, the United States Congress authorized the United States Treasury to match 10 million dollars in private contributions. On December 5, a marble and bronze plaque was laid to dedicate the site where the memorial will be built.
The Washington D. C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization authorized by the U.S. Congress to collect funds and construct a Memorial to Dr. King. Contributions are tax-deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law. No government funds have been allocated for this project. Harry Johnson is the current President of the foundation.
Controversy
In 2001, the foundation's efforts to build the memorial were stalled because the civil rights leader's family wanted money to use his name and likeness in the marketing campaign. The family pledged that any money derived would go back to the King Center's charitable efforts.
