Scenic Runway

In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday. We at Scenic Runway are re-publishing The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial feature originally published on August 31, 2011, in honor of a man who stood for equality for all!

Display honoring Dr. King at The Willard Hotel

The dedication of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was originally scheduled for Sunday, August 28th, in Washington, DC but was postponed due to hurricane “Irene”. In addition to hurricane “Irene”, a 5.8 earthquake hit the east coast of the United States earlier in the week, causing damage to the Washington National Cathedral where services honoring Dr. King were to be held on Saturday forcing organizers to find another venue. As disappointing as it was to find out that the dedication ceremony had been postponed due to the hurricane we did not alter our plans. With both of our homes located on the northeast coast, Washington, DC appeared to be a much safer place for my family and I due to its southwest proximity.

From the moment that I discovered that a memorial was being built to honor Dr. King I knew I had to go to Washington with my family to view the sculpture. I also knew that there was no other hotel for our stay in Washington, DC than The Willard due to its connection to Dr. King.

Stormy View

After a stormy Saturday night and a windy start in the morning, Sunday, August 28th, the 48th anniversary of Dr. King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech, the weather was absolutely beautiful as we made our way to the memorial. The memorial’s landscape has natural elements and water, to convey themes fundamental to Dr. King’s legacy: democracy, justice, hope and love. Dr. King’s sculpture is flanked by crescent-shaped walls inscribed with excerpts from some of his most famous sermons and speeches. The centerpiece is the “Stone of Hope” the 30-foot granite sculpture of Dr. King depicting him coming out of the stone. Dr. King’s statue, located on the northwest shore of the Tidal Basin is nothing short of amazing.

Dr. MLK Jr. Memorial

Lei Yixin – Memorial Sculptor

The memorial’s street address, 1964 Independence Avenue, is a reference to a milestone of the civil rights movement, the 1964 Voting Rights Act. As I sat on the stone bench reflecting on Dr. King’s words inscribed around me, I could not help but to think that his words were as inspirational today as they were when they were spoken so many years ago. During our visit to the memorial we were very fortunate to meet the sculptor of Dr. King’s memorial, Lei Yixin. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial honors a man who sacrificed his life so that the world would be a better place!

Inscribed Excerpt

Tags: Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial, MLK Memorial, The Willard Hotel