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King Memorial Ready to Be Unveiled
Dear Source:
In a few days it will be the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington and King's "I Have a Dream" speech, August 28, 1963. If Dr. King were alive today, what would he say about the progress of his dream in 2011? I was not born when he was alive, but if I could speak to any person in history it certainly would include Dr. King. He once said “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” I believe that many of us in our community should follow his words on the many of issues facing us today.
At long last, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. will be formally unveiled August 28. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other nonviolent means. By the time of his death in 1968, he had refocused his efforts on ending poverty and stopping the Vietnam War. A few years ago Congress passed joint resolutions in 1996 authorizing Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established by African Americans, to build the memorial. The commemorative site will be the first on the National Mall to honor a person who was not a president or a soldier. This will be the first time a person of color will be honored with a statue at the D.C. site. The U.S. Virgin Islands decided in a session law of 1984, Bill number 15-0746 or Act 4936, approved in May 1984 to establish a holiday on his birth. The first national celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday took place January 20, 1986. While unveiling of his memorial will be a major milestone for all that he stood for, it is his legacy that will live on forever.
For those who might not be able to celebrate this historic day with the nation, here is a snapshot of what the memorial will look like as proposed. The four-acre site, complete with a 28-foot high granite statue of King, stretches from the Tidal Basin to Independence Avenue, and sits between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. Poetically, the address of the memorial is 1964 Independence Avenue. 1964 is the year President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law. King's memorial statue is located near the cherry trees on the National Mall, which, coincidentally, bloom each year around the week King was assassinated. The Aug. 28 dedication is exactly three years to the date of President Barack Obama's acceptance of Democratic nomination. The White House had announced that the president will speak at the unveiling. The composition of the memorial utilizes landscape elements to powerfully convey four fundamental and recurring themes throughout Dr. King's message: justice, democracy, hope and love. The semicircular geometry of the memorial engages the Tidal Basin and frames views of the water. The main entrance through the crescent-shaped inscription wall is aligned along the axis of the memorials of Jefferson and Lincoln, placing this memorial directly in line with the ideals that form the context for King's words and deeds. The memorial is described to be a quiet and receptive space, yet at the same time, powerful and emotionally evocative, reflecting the spirit his speech to the nation 40 years ago and the role he played in society. Is just thinking about this coming Sunday sending thrills of joy down your spine yet? It is mine. Please consider sending your thoughts or comments on this great man’s life and what impact he had on you in a school essay or editorial. What would he say about the progress of his dream today?
Many organizations, civic groups and individuals made donations to www.mlk memorial.org including the St. Thomas Association of Road Runners, a founding sponsor. From 2006 to 20011 our members raised a little more than $900. It is said that our name will be included on the Roll of Honor at the memorial forever along with other founding sponsors from the V.I. Thank you STAR members and board for your support. I have faith that we will continue to hold the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. race every year to support his noble vision.
Jason Budsan
St. Thomas
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