Dedicated in 2011, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial exemplifies the fundamental values of Dr. King during his quest for equal rights for all citizens.
Inspired by Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. King states “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” A figure of Martin Luther King, Jr. is carved into the “Stone of Hope” standing past the “Mountain of Despair.”
As part of the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, the Trust hosted StoryCorps to capture the moving stories of individuals who attended the original March in 1963 or who were impacted by it. The personal accounts will be used in the Trust’s initiatives to preserve the living history of the National Mall.
Martin Luther King, III poses with his wife, Arndrea, and daughter, Yolanda, at his father's memorial. (Photo / Trust for the National Mall)
The public may visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial 24 hours a day. National Park Service Rangers are on duty to answer questions from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily and to provide interpretive programs every hours on the hour from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m.