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Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in DC – Pic of the Week

Posted by: Kelly Goles

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Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a federal holiday first celebrated 36 years ago in 1986. Our pic of the week is from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial depicts King standing with arms folded. King is carved into a huge gray stone.
Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial. Photo by Robert Brammer.

This 30-foot tall granite memorial, sculpted in Dr. King’s likeness, sits at 1964 Independence Avenue, S.W., the address referencing the year the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became law. It was dedicated in 2011, on the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington.

Etched into the side of the statue are the words, “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” These words come from Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech and “serve as the theme of the overall design of the memorial, which realizes the metaphorical mountain and stone.” Dr. King’s memorial is the first to honor an African American individual on the National Mall.

Photo of the side view of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial. Photo by Robert Brammer.

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Comments (2)

  1. Janet says:

    Thank you, for reminding us that there is a long way to go in the history of social justice through the work of Martin Luther King, Jr.

  2. Christina Dian Parmionova says:

    Honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of most inspiring and influential civil rights leaders.

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