MLK, Jr. Memorial dedication

President Barack Obama speaks during the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, Oct. 16, 2011.

Mr. Obama saluted King as a man who "stirred our conscience" and made the Union "more perfect," and rejoiced in memorializing not only the slain pastor's leader's life and work but the thousands of others who persevered in the civil rights movement.

Pictures: The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Credit: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak