The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the Mall

The Dr. King Memorial in Washington D.C.

 

What makes a man or woman great? Is it their actions? Their thoughts? The words they share that inspire others? Their writings? Their courage? A combination of the above?

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

                                                   -Martin Luther King Jr.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

 

As I stood at the entrance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial taking in the memorialized words of this great man, I began to wonder.

Ohm and Mark beat me to the entrance. I stayed behind trying to take pictures as my fingers turned to ice.

The sun was deceiving. It was sunglasses weather, but it was also skin a bear and wear his fur to keep yourself warm weather. As the heavy wind gusts pushed us to and fro, we made our way beyond the murky frozen Potomac, past the Lincoln Memorial and along the Washington Mall towards the relatively new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

The Potomac in the distance. Parking for the memorial is quite a ways away from the actual memorial. In the winter, that equals one cold walk, but a walk that is well worth it.

Making our way down Independence Ave., the National Monument in the distance, Dr. King's memorial seemed to appear suddenly, three dignified cream colored peaks before us.

A side view of the memorial. Behind the doctor king statue, stand two sides of a mountain.

I was drawn immediately to the wall of Dr. King's quotes, presented in a smooth arc behind his statue. A powerful living memorial, I followed the semi-circle of quotes, taking each one in, letting them resonate.

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The Martin Luther King Jr. memorial was dedicated on August 28th 2011, 48 years after the historic March on Washington.

Behind Dr. Kings image lies the mountain of despair, which is divided into two pieces to symbolize the hope of the present. In the distance, between the mountain of despair, one gets a clear view of the Jefferson memorial, a symbol of freedom and liberty.

Located in West Patomac Park in Washington D.C., the memorial is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is a parking area.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial: 1964 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC

Dr. King's legacy should inspire us all to aim to be great. To live lives of service, lives that matter. Whatever your mission, whatever your cause, let it ring from the mountaintops and refuse to be moved.