In 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed Martin Luther King Jr. Day into law as a recognized holiday. However it was not until the year 2000 that all 50 states started actually recognizing the day as a national holiday. The idea to create a statue in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was first thought up in 1996. It took an estimated $120 million to build the statue. The statue was first opened to the public on August 22, 2011. It is located on the National Mall, sitting adjacent to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.
There are three things that the memorial conveys to the world that were extremely relevant during Dr. King’s life- democracy, justice and hope. The centerpiece of the memorial is a “Stone of Hope,” which is Dr. King standing with his arms crossed facing the horizon, looking into the future and dreaming about the hope for humanity. In addition to the statue of Dr. King there are also 14 excerpts from Dr. King’s sermons engraved on granite panels for the world to see and read the vision he had for America.
If you are in the Washington, D.C. area this weekend, take a moment to stop by this brand new statue in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and take part in the celebration of the holiday in honor of him on Monday, January 16, 2012.
Molly Miller
Sales Coordinator
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