“Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of January. It celebrates the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., an influential American civil rights leader. He is most well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation on public transport and for racial equality in the United States.” Time and Date dot com
Photos of the Stone of Hope being built.
The following information comes from the Washington Post. They also have a really cool exploration site here. You can virtually tour and explore the memorial.
“About the sculpture
The sculpture, called the “Stone of Hope,” gets its name from a line in King’s “I Have a Dream” speech: “With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.” At the entrance to the memorial two stones stand apart, representing the “Mountain of Despair.” A single wedge is pushed out, and from there King’s form emerges.
Size comparison to notable icons on the Mall
The site of the memorial
The sculpture stands on a four-acre plot on the northwest corner of the Tidal Basin, across from the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and next to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial. It creates a visual “line of leadership” from the Lincoln Memorial to the Jefferson Memorial.
Photos by Nikki Kahn; Production by Kat Downs – The Washington Post.
Made with Microsoft Photosynth. Published August 22, 2011.”
