USA: Civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King to be honored on National Mall in Washington D.C.

A ceremony to mark the beginning of construction for a monument to Dr. Martin Luther King was held on Monday (November 13, 2006). The $100 million monument to the civil rights icon will be the first to recognize an African-American on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. President George W. Bush and former President Bill Clinton, along with several civil rights leaders attended the ceremony inaugurating the construction of the memorial. "Honouring Dr. King's legacy requires more than building a monument; it required the ongoing commitment of every American. So we will continue to work for the day when the dignity and humanity of every person is respected, and the American promise is denied no one" Bush said. Three of King's children spoke during the ceremony. Martin Luther King III told the crowd " The best way to memorialize the meaning of what our father's life is to help realize his dream. And what was his dream? He dreamed of peace, he dreamed of a world at peace with itself, a world of justice, equality and community." Former President Bill Clinton said " the monument, however beautiful it turns out to be will be but a physical manifestation of the monument already constructed in the lives and hearts of millions of Americans who are more just, more decent, more successful, more perfect because he lived." Dr. King was a leading activist in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950's until his assassination in 1968. He lead a non-violent campaign to improve social conditions for people of colour in the United States. King won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his work in advancing the rights of African Americans. In August of 1963, King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, which took place on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, one half mile (804.6 meters) from the site of his proposed monument. The memorial will sit on four acres, adjacent to the F.D.R. Memorial and in direct line with the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, near the edge of the Potomac River Tidal Basin. The entrance to the memorial will include a large sculpture called "The Mountain of Despair." It will feature divided granite rocks to symbolizing the divided America that existed before Dr. King and other civil rights leaders forged a path to end social injustices that plagued the racially divided nation. The groundbreaking comes after nearly a decade of grassroots campaigning and fund-raising to secure the money needed to begin construction. Donations for the monument increased after the death of Dr. King's wife Coretta Scott King, earlier this year, and civil rights leader Rosa Parks, who died in October 2005. The monument is expected to be completed by mid-2008.

ITN Source | November 17, 2006

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