Setting MLK's words, and likeness, in stone

On the 48th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s immortal "I have a dream" speech, America honors the man behind it ... an event, Rita Braver now tells us, literally SET in stone:

It's been 27 years in the making - 27 years since a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was envisioned, the first major memorial ever built on Washington's National Mall dedicated to a man who was NOT a President.

Situated directly across the Tidal Basin from the Jefferson Memorial ... looking right at the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument.

Harry Johnson, President and CEO of the Memorial Foundation, says it's not about what job Dr. King had, but about his place in history:

"Here's a man who stood for some lofty goals and actually changed America," said Johnson. "That's why we built this memorial."

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Johnson, and others who led the drive to get the memorial built, belong to Alpha Phi Alpha, the fraternity King joined while a graduate student at Boston University.

"The fraternity helped actually bail him out of jail once or twice," Johnson said.

Getting the Memorial built was a struggle in keeping with Martin Luther King's own story.

The project had to be approved by Congress, and supporters wanted it built close to the Mall where King led a quarter of a million people in the historic 1963 Civil Rights March.

But space on the mall is in high demand, and it took a battle with the commission that decides where monuments can be built in Washington to secure this 4 acre site near the Tidal Basin...

"We persevered and actually had to come to them as you have to do say, 'Here's why it could be done, here's where it could be done, and here's how it should be done,'" said Johnson.

In 1999 a design completion for the memorial was announced: 900 entries from 52 different countries, and an international jury pool decided which would be the winning solution.

The prize went to the ROMA Design Group from San Francisco. The design - a park setting with a major sculpture work in three pieces; The first two looking like a mountain that has split apart, echoing a line from King's I have a dream speech ...

"With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."

And the third piece IS the Stone of Hope ... a statue of King himself, 28 feet tall. The man chosen to create all three pieces is Lei Yixin. He holds the title of Master Sculptor in his native China, where he did most of the work with a team of helpers.

The works were then shipped to the U.S. in 159 pieces and reassembled - more than 1,700 tons of granite in all.

Lei says he tried to present King as an unyielding man of courage who fought to give people power.

"Dr. King belongs to the world," Lei said through an interpreter. "He's a world-wide hero, and his spirit is universal."

But like so much of King's life, this sculpture has been a source of controversy, with some critics charging the work makes him look too stern - though it's based on the cover photo of King's autobiography.

There's also some resentment that the job went to a sculptor from China.

"What do you say to those who say it should've gone to an American, and preferably an African-American?" Braver asked.

"I say simply that Dr. King talked about how you should judge a person," Johnson replied. "He said, in his own words, we should not judge a person by the color of his skin but by the content of his character."

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[justfedupalso]

Too bad they didn't erect a statue of his girlfriend next to him. What a sham, making this cheater out to be some kind of hero.

[oldman67]

Those who critize this great man have really lost the meaning of what America was once about. I served three tours in Vietnam in the Marines and each time i go on youtube and listen to his speeches i am amazed at how right he was and how much his words apply today. The people have supported nation building and where has it gotten the middle class and the poor beside a war debt that will never be paid. 5,000+ troops lost their lives and over two million men, women and children in these middle east countries died. So much devastation all for the benefit of the American coporations. The neocons plans are continuing right on schedule. The US Hegemony is nearing completion. www.addictedtowar.com

[PJponPappa]

He does not deserve this. He was an anti-white socialist whose campaign for integration helped to destroy public schools and cities.

[johnroper35040]

Where is his mustache?

[johnroper35040]

Made in China. It was the cheapest way for them to have it made. A monument made in a communist country. Assembled here. How sad is that. Not sure what it says about the leadership in Washington, or what this says about the people behind this endeavor. Of course this will not be brought up because it would be 'racist'. The statue looks Chinese because it was made by Chinese.

[gerrysegal]

It's so nice to be able to remember a time when at least some of the nation was united. We are in shreds....I went to the march and wrote this song last year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_slIO8CxDw