The Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation has a dream that a space can capture the essence of Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of freedom, democracy and opportunity for all. The organization is raising funds to build a memorial in his honor at the National Mall.
The Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial will be an engaging landscape. It will enhance the beauty of every monument by emphasizing how each is unique and deserving of a spot in the landscape – much like the vision Martin Luther King prescribed for Americans to see every citizen of the world as an asset to humanity.
Foundation officials hope to capture his tenants of equality in the American dream through the design of the memorial, but its very existence could also help fulfill Martin Luther King’s vision. This will be the first memorial on the National Mall to recognize a person of color and a man of peace as opposed to a president or war veteran, according to the MLK Memorial Organization.
USA Today reports that funding is on track for the memorial to debut in 2011. Multimillion dollar donations from the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity (of which King was a member), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the WalMart Foundation have helped the building commence.
Still, every penny helps. The road to reaching the fundraising goal has been long – spanning 14 years to date. Moreover, with world events such as September 11′s terrorist attacks and the recent earthquake in Haiti, some of the foundation’s focus has been redirected at immediate need.
Now, the project is just $14 million short of its $120 million goal. Interested citizens can do their part by visiting the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation website.
Harry Johnson, president and CEO of the foundation, told USA Today he hopes the erection of the memorial will bring a sense of peace to all who visit. "A sense of tranquility will come over you as you think about what Dr. King really meant not just to this country but to the world."