It is the morning of August 28, 1963, and the focus of most of America is centered on the Lincoln Memorial. There, nearly 200,000 people have gathered to hear the words of one of America’s most important visionaries and activists, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. He walks onto the steps of the Memorial and begins to change the thoughts of America, and the thoughts of generations to come with four simple words: “I have a dream.” With these words, King summarized the feeling of all those who were fighting for their rights, and he shifted the views of many an American. He would go on to continue to be one of the most important leaders in American civil rights history. However, just five years later, the man who had helped fight so much of the civil rights battle, was tragically assassinated, and left his memory to complete much of his remaining work.

    As time went on, King’s achievements were recognized, and future generations grew to appreciate his contributions. The real question became how were his memory and spirit going to be preserved forever, so the famous leader could truly be remembered? At this time, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial became a reality, rather than an idea. In 1984 the original idea came from the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, which King himself had been a member of. It wasn’t until 1996 that President Bill Clinton approved the building of a memorial to king, by 1998 a sight had been secured, and the building process began. Funds began coming in support of the memorial, and different fundraising events such as “The Dream Concert” are held for the memorial.

Finally, the memorial opened to the public on August 22, 2011. An official dedication ceremony had been planned for August 28, 2011, but had to be cancelled due to Hurricane Irene. The site was officially dedicated on October 16, 2011. Supposed to represent King’s journey and mission, the memorial has a few different sections. First, one walks through the Mountain of Despair, two stone boulders separated through the center. Then, a visitor walks towards the Stone of Hope which features a 30-foot high relief of King, with two of his most memorable quotes on the side of the stone. Then, one looks over the Tidal Basin, which represents looking towards a better future. An inscription wall has fourteen of King’s most important quotes on it, and cherry trees are in abundance all over the memorial.

Many Americans positively received the memorial, and many citizens think that the memorial beautifully captures King’s dreams and hopes, and will hopefully remind us of his mission for generations to come. To me and many other Americans, the memorial represents the changing world, and it instills an appreciation for the rights that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought so hard for us to earn. It makes me realize that I cannot take the life I live today for granted, and to think about those who do not have those rights. I hope to visit the memorial someday in the near future, and reflect upon these thoughts while standing near the memory of one of the greatest civil rights leaders ever to walk this Earth.