Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial

On August 28th, 2011 more than 250,000 visitors will be in Washington, DC to celebrate the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial on the 48th anniversary of King's "I Have A Dream" speech. This historic event will begin with a pre-dedication concert at 10am. followed by the dedication ceremony which will begin at 11 am. A post-dedication concert is then scheduled to begin at 2 pm.

Dr. King's Memorial is located on a four-acre plot on the northwest corner of the Tidal Basin. It is adjacent to the Roosevelt Memorial and creates a "line of leadership" from the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech to the Jefferson Memorial. The Stone of Hope, from which Dr. King's image emerges, will gaze over the Tidal Basin toward the horizon as a symbol of a future society of justice and equality. The memorial will also feature an Inscription Wall with fourteen of Dr. King’s most influential quotes, engraved on a 450-foot crescent shaped granite wall.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit organization coordinated the designing, funding and constructing the memorial. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr is only the third non-president to be commemorated with a memorial on the National Mall and the first ever African-American to be honored this way.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is located on a four-acre plot on the northwest corner of the Tidal Basin. It is adjacent to the Roosevelt Memorial and creates a "line of leadership" from the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech to the Jefferson Memorial. The Stone of Hope, from which Dr. King's image emerges, will gaze over the Tidal Basin toward the horizon as a symbol of a future society of justice and equality. The memorial will also feature an Inscription Wall with fourteen of Dr. King's most influential quotes, engraved on a 450-foot crescent shaped granite wall.

Martin Luther King, Jr., born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia to a family of pastors and civil rights leaders. King received a B.A. degree from Moorehouse College in 1948, a B.D. degree from Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania in 1951, and a Ph.D. from Boston University in 1955. Martin Luther King, Jr. returned to Montgomery, Alabama, to work for civil rights while serving as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Already a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, King gained national recognition as a leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In 1957, he founded and was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He traveled extensively, giving over 2,500 speeches, and wrote five books as well as numerous articles. During his 1963 incarceration in Alabama he wrote his famous "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave countless sermons and speeches during his lifetime that moved an entire nation and will be forever remembered. This is a collection of some of the most famous, amazing, and thought-provoking of Dr. Martin Luther King's speeches, including his historic "I Have A Dream" speech given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. All these speaches are full length textual versions and each one is truly amazing.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed Joint Resolution 70 on September 28, 1996 to establish a memorial in Washington, DC to honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On October 3, 1996, the Senate followed by passing Joint Resolution 426 and President Clinton signed a Joint Congressional Resolution authorizing the building of a memorial on July 16, 1998. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial statnds on a four-acre site along the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. This national memorial in next to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial and on a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is the first of its kind celebrating the life of an African American in Washington, D.C.

The vision of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is to not only honor a great man, but the values he empowered with his leadership, justice, equality, reconciliation and peace. The Memorial also hopes to evoke the memory and spiritual presence of Dr. King by celbrating his courage and truth, and unconditional love and forgiveness. In the late 1990's, the Martin Luther King Foundation formed a panel of architects and designers to develop and coordinate the Memorial. There was a competition that received over 900 submissions from architects, landscape architects, students, and sculptors, and professors from all over the world.

ROMA Design Group of San Francisco was selected was the winning design in September 2000. Master Sculptor Lei Yixin was then named Sculptor of Recordand in 2006. His tasks was to not only capture Dr. King likeness, but his essence and spirit as well.

Looking for somewhere to go to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. on this special day? Dr. King made a significant impact on our Nation's Capitol and gave one of the most historic speeches of all time on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Find out more information on events and special memorial services in the Washington DC area for one of our Nation's greatest leaders visit our Washington DC Events Calendar.

Events During the Memorial Dedication Week

Honoring Past, Present And Future Pioneers
Partners In The Dream
The Message in the Music
Kennedy Center MLK Celebration
Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral
Dream Keepers
The Celebration - Dream Gala
Pre-Dedication Musical Tribute
Official Dedication Ceremony
Concert on the Mall

DC Gift Shop endeavors to create and deliver unique quality gift products that educate, entertain, enlighten, and encourage awareness of the rich history of our Nation's capital, Washington DC. Many of our customers tell us how they visited Washington DC and forgot to pick up a souvenir or they just out of room in their suitcase? DCGiftShop.com was created to be your quick connection to quality Washington DC gifts and souvenirs. Teachers, is your time precious? Order in advance from your classroom! Would you like your students to return from their visit to Washington DC with a souvenir -- but without taking up field trip time? For your convenience, our store personnel have created inexpensive packages that may be ordered in advance of a school's field trip.

Washington, DC has an efficient and safe transportation systems with numerous options to get in and out of the city. There are three airports to choose from within driving distance, Reagan National Airport, Dulles International Airport, and Baltimore Washington International Airport. These airports services more domestic and international locations than almost all other cities in the United States. Additionally, Amtrak brings more than 90,000 visitors through Union Station daily. Union Station is located at 50 Massachusetts Avenue, NE.

Once you are in the Washington DC area, Metrorail and bus are the easiest ways to get around the city. Metro operates from 5:30 am - 12:00 am (weekdays) and 5:30 am - 3:00 am (weekends). Buses runs a total of 338 routes throughout the Washington DC area. Taxicabs are also available for traveling throughout our Nation's Capitol. Taxis are abundant in the city with more than 6,000 in circulation.

DC Circulator is an affordable way to travel to points of interest throughout the District. A recent transportation option, you and your family can now choose from three routes, ALL FOR ONLY $1.

Georgetown to Union Station

Historic 7th Street to the Southwest Waterfront

The National Mall with stops at the numerous Smithsonian Institutions’ Museums and Galleries