Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
The Memorial
The Memorial is a tribute to the greatness of America—predicated on preserving life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness equally for all. It prompts visitors to reflect on Dr. King’s lifelong dedication to the idea of achieving human dignity through global relationships of well being and serves to instill a broader, deeper sense of duty within each of us—a duty to be both responsible citizens and conscientious stewards of freedom and democracy. The Memorial honors his national and international contributions to world peace through non-violent social change. This noble quest earned Dr. King the Nobel Peace Prize and continues to influence people and societies throughout the world.
The Memorial is situated on four acres on the Tidal Basin immediately north of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and aligned with and midway between the Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson Memorials.
From the main entry to the Memorial, visitors are invited to experience the struggle for equality, to learn the power of the Mountain of Despair, and to rejoice in the freedom symbolized by the cascading waterfall and the inspiring Inscription Wall of quotes, which represent the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial’s universal themes of democracy, justice, hope, and love.
The Stone of Hope, the Memorial’s centerpiece, with its inscription, “Out of a Mountain of Despair, a Stone of Hope,” reveals to visitors the relationship between the three main components of the Memorial.
The contemplative expression immortalized on Dr. King’s image gazes out toward the horizon across the Tidal Basin. The Yoshino cherry trees, alongside the American Elm, and Crepe Myrtle and copious other plants create a lush environment for the Memorial and ensures the Memorial will continue to serve as a prominent place where people of all walks of life can visit, learn, and be inspired to live the four tenets of democracy, justice, hope, and love.
Mission Statement
As the builders of |The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington DC, The Memorial Foundation, Inc. keeps the spirit and work of Dr. King’s living memorial relevant by leveraging the memorial’s role as a beacon of inspiration and by creating events that enlighten, educational programs that trains people to work towards democracy, justice, hope, and love.
Vision
Our vision is of a world in which the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC serves as a global beacon that inspires people around the globe to apply the principles of democracy, justice, hope, and love in their lives.
