At the formal Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial dedication ceremony, the crowd eagerly awaited the arrival of President Obama, who spoke following speeches that remembered the civil rights movement and Dr. King, and expressed themes of hope, democracy, racial and economic justice, and endurance.
“And Dr. King would be the first to remind us that this memorial is not for him alone. The movement of which he was a part depended on an entire generation of leaders,“ President Obama said. ”Many are here today, and for their service and sacrifice we owe them our everlasting gratitude. This a monument to your collective achievement.”
The dedication, originally scheduled for Aug. 28, was postponed due to Hurricane Irene’s proximity in the mid-Atlantic, and threat to the East Coast.
The ceremony included speeches by: Ambassador Andrew Young; Rod Gillman, chairman of the Memorial Foundation; Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.); the Rev. Joseph Lowery; former CBS news anchor Dan Rather; poet Nikki Giovanni; fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger; and actresses Cicely Tyson and Diahann Carol. Gospel and contemporary artists Mary Mary, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Wonder performed.
As a chorus sang “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!” (The Battle Hymn of the Republic), the first family appeared on the large projection screens. President Obama walked hand in hand with his daughter Malia, and Sacha embraced first lady Michelle Obama as they walked through the King Memorial; past Dr. King’s words etched in stone.
“Because of that hopeful vision, because of Dr. King’s moral imagination, barricades began to fall and bigotry began to fade. New doors of opportunity swung open for an entire generation,” the president said in his speech. “Look at the faces around you, you see an America that is more free and more just than the one Dr. King addressed that day. We are right to savor that slow and steady progress.”
Yet many speakers iterated that the work of Dr. King has not been completed with the election of President Obama as the first African-American president.
“This [memorial] is a marker for the fight for justice today and a projection for the fight for justice in the future—because we will not stop until we get the justice Dr. King fought for,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton. “ Justice is not executing people on recanted testimony. Justice is not sending kids to schools that are not funded. Justice is not 1 percent of the country controlling 40 percent of the wealth.”
Renowned Poet Niki Giovanni recited her poem, “In the Spirit of Martin,” which speaks of the Civil Rights Movement.
“I want the World to see what they did to my boy ... No, No, No, I’m not going to move ... If we are Wrong ... then the Constitution of the United States is Wrong ... Montgomery ... Birmingham ... Selma ... Four little Girls, Constant Threats ... Constant Harassment ... Constant Fear,” recited Giovanni.
Fulfillment of the Dream
Both younger and older people of different backgrounds attended the dedication ceremony.
“I think that all of the speeches were a call for us to continue—for us to do our part to [reach the] fulfillment of the dream. And I think its inspired me to go back and think of what I can do to contribute, in my family, in my neighborhood, in my community; I’m just so glad I’m here,” said Carolyn Lyons, who attended the memorial dedication with her 10-year-old son Micah and friend Tamara, with the MLK Committee from Raleigh, N.C.
“[The message of compassion] resonated with me as well. I have one child, but there are many children that you can impact and influence, and I think that I’ve done that to a certain degree just naturally, but I think that I can be a little more intentional,” Lyons stated.
“[One message that we’re taking away with us is] to believe in something, and once you do, stick to it and make it become something; let your voice be heard. Find out who you are and be it, brightly,” said Kenya, 17-year-old president of the Lake County Ohio Youth Council of the NAACP, a group that attended the dedication.
Warren Williams, a special police officer and retired Army sargent from Washington, D.C., had attended a Martin Luther King Jr. speech as a child. “I was here in 1963 as a 3-year-old. My father brought me here on his shoulders, and so, I felt compelled to come down here and be a part of this event, “ Williams said. ”It just so happens that my son is grown and I can’t have him down here with me, but if I could, I would.”
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which opened Aug. 22, is located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial, and features two large granite boulders that rest in the center of a long walkway, symbolizing a “mountain of despair,” with the center piece of the boulder seeming to have been thrust into the center of the plaza.
The structure was inspired by Dr. King’s historic I Have a Dream speech, in which he stated, “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”
Dr. King’s image is carved in relief out of the granite stone. Inscribed on one side of the monument are the words “I was a drum major for justice, peace, and righteousness,” King’s own words to describe how he wished to be remembered.
