Thursday, May 3, 2012
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A dream come true: Martin Luther King Jr statue will be unveiled on National Mall on 48th anniversary of 'I have a dream' speech
A dream come true: Martin Luther King Jr statue will be unveiled on National Mall on 48th anniversary of 'I have a dream' speech
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Daily Mail
A statue honouring Martin Luther King Jr will be unveiled on the National Mall alongside two of America's best-known and best-loved presidents on the 48th anniversary of his historic 'I have a dream' speech.
Dr King will stand shoulder to shoulder with Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson when a statue of the slain civil rights leader is dedicated in Washington DC on August 28.
A 30-foot likeness of Dr King that will stand as the centrepiece of the new memorial is under construction in the Potomac Park.
When completed it will be the first memorial on the National Mall to honour a non-U.S. president.
A 450-foot inscription wall will feature more than a dozen of his quotes engraved into granite.
'We are thrilled that we will be dedicating the Memorial to Dr King in the coming months, and the Foundation looks forward, with great pride, to presenting this Memorial - this dream - that we've worked to build, to the people,' said Harry Johnson Sr, president of the MLK Memorial Foundation.
'Dr King, his life, his dream, and his legacy, will be a source of history and inspiration for all people, for all time.
'I'm very much looking forward to celebrating this momentous event with my fellow Americans and people around the world who understand what this memorial stands for, and the relevance of Dr. King's message.'
Jefferson and Lincoln - both of who appear in the famous Mount Rushmore sculpture - are widely regarded as two of the greatest ever leaders of the U.S.
The former was a Founding Father of America and author of the Declaration of Independence, while the latter is renowned for leading America through possibly its greatest ever crisis - the Civil War - by restoring the Union and ending slavery.
Martin Luther King, Jr is seen by many as a heroic leader in the history of modern American liberalism.
His tireless and impassioned campaigning in the African American civil rights movement led to the ending of racial segregation and racial discrimination.
In 1964 he became the youngest ever person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his achievements using non-violent methods.
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