Black


History Month


King Jr. delivered his powerful “I Have a Dream” speech. Dr. King’s message of equality, unity, democracy and tolerance lured men and women from across the nation from different racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds. They came for a healing and for hope. August 28, 1963 was a great day for


The 47th Anniversary of the March on Washington A


ugust 28, 2010 marked the 47th an- niversary of the historic March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther


Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memo- rial Project Foundation Inc. to build a me- morial on the National Mall to honor Dr. King’s contributions to the world commu- nity through non-violent social change. The four-acre memorial will serve as a lasting tribute to the ideals of democracy, justice, hope and love for which Dr. King stood. (The Foundation was created by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.) I have been looking forward to an-


all Americans, one that subsequently re- sulted in the passage of two pieces of le- gislation – the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – that dramatically improved the social and po- litical landscape for African Americans and provided civil rights proponents legal recourse to fight institutionalized racism. For the last nine years, I have been leading an effort by the Washington, DC


nouncing on the anniversary this year that the memorial is 45 percent complete and that we are $13 million away from our fundraising goal of $120 million. Once the memorial is finished, Dr. King will be the only non-president, non-war hero to be honored on Washington’s National Mall.


Monuments and memorials are symbo- lic of battles fought and won by leaders


who were triumphant or who, like Dr. King, were martyred before their mission was completed. General Colin Powell of- ten says that while he and other heroes were fighting the Vietnam War, there was another war…the civil rights war, which was being heading by a general named Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King fought his war and won using the weapon of non- violence. For my staff and me, building the


memorial has been a long but gratifying journey. The magnitude of Dr. King’s words, his commitment to non-violent social change and his message of unity were monumental. His message is time- less and worthy of reflection, not just on anniversaries, but every day. It is not for me to say whether Dr.


King’s dream needs to be reclaimed or re- stored; it just needs to be completed. With that said, so does the monument to this Nobel Prize-winning man of peace. The progress we have made thus far has been as a result of generous giving by corpo- rations and contributions, both large and small, from ordinary citizens who embra- ce Dr. King’s legacy. Those donations of $5, $10, and $20 do add up over time. Often when asked who should pay for


the Memorial in honor of Dr. King, some say the government, some say wealthy individuals, and some say corporations. I say anyone who ever benefited from anyt- hing Dr. King said or did....my friends that includes all of us. The years are adding up too. Forty-


The proposed Martin Luther King Memorial in Wasington, D.C. is currently under construction.


seven years have passed since Dr. King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memo- rial and said, “We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now.” Americans conti- nue to live in a time of urgency. People can say and do what they want. But in my view we should always espouse to have a climate of unity, tolerance and equality to carry on Dr. King’s legacy. Please become a part of history by visi-


ting www.buildthedream.org. Source: BlackPRWire


70 www.blackeoejournal.com The Black E.O.E. Journal


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