Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Considering what MLK, Jr. contributed to the shaping of our nation, I would have thought more prominence would have been placed on this memorial (especially when compared to the FDR memorial, who did a great lot for the country in his own right). He is only the fourth non-​President (and the first African-​American) to be honored with a memorial. The memorial, dedicated in 2011, was immediately controversial due to the inaccuracy of the «drum major quote» inscribed on the statue. It was finally fixed in 2013. The placing of the memorial is in a nice location, along the Tidal Basin, and I would definitely recommend viewing the memorial in conjunction with the FDR and Jefferson Memorials.

This was a life changing experience… every American should take this trip in their lifetime… definitely must take my kids to experience this piece of American history… the statues were incredible and articulate… so much to take in, and I’m still taken back on my experience… haven’t stopped talking about this experience to my kids and family…

I mean its the KING. Enough said. Lol.
No seriously, make sure you know where youre going because you could walk right past it if you didnt know any better. The monument is not facing the street so it was a bit confusing to me.

The man with a dream, us the fulfillment of that dream, and yet still so much to work for still. A very awesome monument to a man who fought for the rights of all.
not much else for me to say o. this, but to suggest you also take a tour of the Capitol building to see his other statue.

What a great memorial. The artist delivered on their perceived concept. Standing in front of the chiseled out figure of MLK towering in front of you is an awesome sight. Turn around and you get a beautiful view of the Jefferson Memorial. If you go during cherry blossom season, the area can’t be beat.

Come check out the beautiful statue of Dr. King. This was part of the walk to Jefferson Memorial and FDR Memorial. This was simply amazing to see how big it is.

This Memorial has a moving memorial with strong visual appeal. The image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. coming out of the rock is strong and stunning. The grounds are peaceful, surrounded by blooming cherry trees. The inspiring quotes throughout are moving and inspirational.
Definitely make the time to walk through this Memorial by the Tidal Basin!

WOW! You feel his power there. I see more energetic and passionate people there.
Price: Free.
Parking: Tough. Park somewhere and walk here or metro, I recommend.
It’s the best time to visit there now because of the beautiful blooming cherry blossoms!

Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.
Beautiful memorial for an outstanding champion of human rights

I wasn’t even aware of this memorial until I wandered upon it searching for the FDR Memorial and took the route through the Tidal Basin where this particular memorial was set up and marked by the 2 large pieces of what was one solid stone piece that people can walk through. When you come upon it the first time, I know I was confused as to what the two «iceberg-​looking» pieces stood for. Only when we walked pass the broken pieces of stone did we realize that it was the MLK Memorial — however, still a little confused as to the significance of the two pieces.
After you walk past the two pieces of broken rock, you come across another white colored rock with MLK’s full body with a stoic expression engraved onto one side of the rock. On the other flat side to his right are the following engravings, «Out of the Mountain of Despair, A Stone of Hope.»
The message definitely hits you a little harder after you read those words and makes you re-​appreicate his part in America’s history to shape the rights of all minorities alike.

Opened in 2011, this is the first monument on the National Mall that does not memorialize the contribution of our veterans of wars or a former president but rather a citizen who worked as social activist for a peaceful progression to a more equal society were everyone has civil rights that are fully recognized and fully embraced.
The Memorial, in my view, does more than seek to simply commemorate a single man, his efforts, accomplishments and contributions, it makes an effort to express through sculpture and spacial physical separation the advancement of the Civil Rights in this Country.
Paraphrasing from the National Park Service — the detachment of the stone of hope from the mountain of despair reflects victory borne from disappointment — and depending on your point of approach to the monument you either enter through the back of the mountain in the crevasse made by the breakaway advancement of the (now) separate stone — ahead of you. If you approach from the Tidal Pool you see that Dr King’s figure is craved on much of the front of that breakaway stone monolith with the larger mountain, from which it came, is the background. NPS guides say that the monolith with King is intentionally unfinished to embody /​physically –visually represent that more needs to be done and the civil rights movement is not yet finished.
The Monument has a rather prime location on the Western Edge of the Tidal pool opposite the Jefferson Memorial. If your here you can easily visit the FDR memorial (also along the Tidal Pool) just to the SouthEast or crossing Independence Avenue you are quickly at the Korean War Veteran’s Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the WWII Memorial.

Fantastic monument! I’ve been here twice – once with my mom and another time with my meetup group. As you walk around, you can see inspirational quotes. I also learned why monument looks incomplete towards the bottom – it’s to symbolize that while we have made strides with regard to social justice, we still have a ways to go. When I came with my mom, we got turned around and she said «well, if Dr. King could march for equality, what’s an extra mile for us to walk?» I have to agree with my mom.
If you haven’t visited the monument as of yet, it is definitely a must see.

A great memorial for a great man.
I have been trying to get down to see this memorial since it was constructed. I just happened to be in DC and after passing near the white house it hit me. I had to come see this memorial, and pay my respects.
I came into the entrance of the memorial that is directly behind the statue, which made my walk to the front even more dramatic. I have seen many pictures of this memorial from trips taken by friends and family, but nothing could compare to seeing it first hand.
If you haven’t seen this memorial, i definitely recommend making the time. Because there are so many of the people who were involved in the fight for civil rights passed before this was even a thought.
When i was a kid my mom and my grandmother drove all the way to Atlanta just to see the Martin Luther King National Historical Site. So to me it is awesome to be able to have something closer to me, that i can now share with my family, and more importantly have it in our nations capital. This memorial is not only beautiful, it’s inspirational. Also long overdue.

What an amazing monument.
On my last trip to DC I was able to stop by the Martin Luther King Jr. monument for a quick minute, but even in the short amount of time I was there, realized how magnificent and meaningful it was.
The body of MLK is etched in this stone, but more like, coming out of the stone. It’s around 30ft tall. It’s massive. The stone is light color so it sticks out so nicely in the area. I love how in the monument it almost looks as an unfinished piece because of the way it has been etched. I’m not sure what the architects thought on the design was. Was it to show the unfinished work he left behind and the work we still have to do regarding equality? I’m not sure, but you can definitely put your own theories into it if you wanted to.
Behind the statue are various quotes. It’s definitely some place you should see if you’re in town and it’s definitely one monument I must go back to when I get back to DC.

The MLK Memorial is one of my favorite in the city. It’s located along the Tidal Basin near the FDR Memorial.
A huge Martin Luther King Jr image is carved into what they call «The Stone of Hope». The image is majestic and photo-​worthy. Quotes from his «I Had a Dream» speech are etched on the walls surrounding the memorial.
The inspirational quotes and this being the first memorial honoring a man of color makes the MLK Memorial an important one. Worth a visit, especially when it’s lit up at night!

This is a newer memorial… and it is simply beautiful and very powerful.
There are walls lined with quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. and they are super moving and inspirational.
I felt peace, respect, love, admiration, and motivation throughout my time at the memorial. I can’t recommend this place more. Everyone should take the time to come visit this memorial and remember the great things he did for our country and for the world really.
There are places to sit and take it all in.
There are also friendly workers around to give you a guide and to answer any questions.
Amazing place. One of the best in DC.

Bottom Line: I was really excited to check out the new-​ish Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial and it didn’t disappoint!
Dr. King was a brave man, eloquent speaker and great visionary. He was a positive inspiration to many and I wish he was still with us today to spread his message of liberty, freedom, tolerance and love. I also wish Dr. King could see the awesomely huge memorial erected in his honor.
The memorial is primarily two components: (1) A statue of Dr. King that is shown breaking away from darkness and into the light and (2) a granite wall inscribed with some of his famous quotes. Like Dr. King himself, his statute is impressive, powerful and strong. I am glad to have visited it at night because I think the lighting really adds a dimension of power to Dr. King and his quotes.
Dr. King is a welcome sight on the Tidal Basin and one I highly recommend visiting.

«The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.»
I believe that quote sums up Dr. Martin Luther King perfectly, he was a leader during a time of challenge and controversy by setting the stage for the civil rights movement for years to come. This memorial is a perfect tribute to such a fitting leader, the giant stone carved statue stands tall overlooking the Tidal Basin. While the statue towers over you, its shadow is cast down and I have to admit that it’s a powerful standing in the shadow of such an amazing civil rights leader who did so much. I could go on and on, however I feel that each of the monuments within DC is best left up to the individual to experience on their own allowing them to reflect on what each leader means to them personally.

«I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: «We hold these truths to be self-​evident, that all men are created equal.» –MLK
America is still working on this… but there’s been lots of progress.
Nice memorial, but the annoying loud immature school kids can really ruin the experience.

To date this is my favorite memorial in D.C., by far. It only opened in 2011, making it one of the newest memorials in this historic city, but it’s by far one of the most beautifully designed memorials. I admittedly did not follow the controversy surrounding the memorial before it was revealed, and actually found out about it relatively late in its design. My opinion then — and now — was that Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most deserving men in history of a memorial, and the creation of one was long overdue.
And the first time I saw the memorial? Definitely did not disappoint. While in town for the cherry blossom festival, I set out to see the memorial and found a clean and bright, nearly white stone statue of a stoic looking Martin Luther King, Jr. set within its center; behind him stood not only two more stone carvings (the «mountain of despair» pieces), but also two stone walls covered in quotes from his various speeches and sermons. My mother and I spent a decent chunk of time just reading these quotes, and thinking about what they meant to us, and snapping pictures of our favorites to keep as personal mementos from the visit.
But my absolute favorite part about the memorial? It overlooks the Tidal Basin and is set right within several lines of cherry blossom trees. The result of this design is absolutely spectacular during cherry blossom season, when Martin Luther King, Jr. stands among the flowers overlooking the water. And the view of the memorial from the Tidal Basin, where you can see the statue staring out from where it stands? It’s quite impressive, and again, just stunning when the blossoms appear all around the area.
I personally think they couldn’t have picked a more perfect place for this memorial, and it’s a wonderfully fitting tribute for a figure like Martin Luther King, Jr. I highly recommend taking the time to walk out and to enjoy it — for me at least, it’s one of the most moving memorials in D.C., and one that I am proud to finally see in existence.

Wenn man vom Lincoln Memorial Richtung Tidal Basin wandert, stößt man auf das Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Es wurde zu Ehren an den 1968 ermordeten US-​amerikanischen Baptistenpastor, Bürgerrechtler und Friedensnobelpreisträger Martin Luther King errichtet.
Zunächst schreitet man durch den geteilten mehrere Meter hohen «Mountain of Despair», der aus hellen chinesischen Granit hergestellt wurde und betritt das Denkmal. Hier befindet sich der «Stone of Hope» mit der 10 Meter hohen Statue von Martin Luther King.
Die Statue wurde aus vielen einzelnen in China hergestellten Granitblöcken gefertigt und Vorort zusammengesetzt. Die drei Elemente Stein, Wasser und Bäume symbolisieren die Leitideen der Bürgerrechtsbewegung Gerechtigkeit, Demokratie und Hoffnung.
Das Memorial wurde am 16.10.2011 von Barack Obama und dem Vizepräsidenten Joe Biden eingeweiht. Im Rahmen der Eröffnung traten die Sänger Aretha Franklin und Stevie Wonder und Bürgerrechtler wie Jesse Jackson auf.
Ich fand das Memorial einfach nur beeindruckend. Dieses strahlende Weiß mit dem schönen Wetter direkt am Wasser des Tidal Basins. Eine Sehenswürdigkeit der National Mall, die man sich nicht entgehen lassen sollte.