Martin Luther King Monument Located in the West Potomac Park bordering the Tidal Basin, stands the first African American civil rights activist to be memorialized in Washington D.C., the Martin Luther King Jr Monument. This monument commemorates the four themes that Dr. King lived through in his life which include: democracy, justice, commitment, hope and love. The Martin Luther King Jr monument was supposed to be dedicated on August 28, 2011 to coincide with the 48th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech but was postponed to October 16th because of Hurricane Irene. The 30-foot tall statue was created and sculpted by a Chinese artist named Lei Yixin. His work was inspired by Dr. Kings’ “I Have a Dream” speech and included “A Stone …show more content…
King played a major part. The memorial is located in a straight line halfway between the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial, which is said to create a visual “line of leadership” with two other Americans who worked hard to secure freedom and liberty for citizens in our country. The intent of the creator was to reveal to all who visit the beauty that commitment and peace brings to a nation who follows their Constitution. Every year, the cherry blossoms peak around the time of the assassination of King, which is April 4th. The Cherry blossom trees were given to the United States by Japan as a sign of peace. The memorial was designed to be a sensory experience. The designers used several elements like rock, water and landscape design to create a visual, and even tactile experience that is functional during all the seasons. The tone surrounding the monument is informal, solemn and serious. It portrays King as a man of honor who was an intellectual that used his words wisely and was full of grace and dignity. The intention was for the memorial to demonstrate what they called King’s “spiritual presence,” because he was more than a civil rights leader, but also a preacher of the gospel of Jesus