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ABC NEWS ORIGINAL REPORT
BUILDING A MEMORIAL TO A DREAM
Breaking Ground for DC Monument for Martin Luther King Jr.
By QUIANA BURNS
Nov. 13, 2006 — It was a crowd fit for a king. An estimated 5,000 people, including President George W. Bush, former President Bill Clinton and talk show host Oprah Winfrey gathered in the national mall today to help break ground for a memorial paying tribute to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"Dr. King showed us that a life of conscience and purpose can lift up many souls," Bush told the crowd. "And on this ground, a monument will rise that preserves his legacy for the ages."
The memorial will be the first ever to honor a person of color on the national mall. It will stand between the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials, not far from where King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in the summer of 1963.
"And by its presence in this place," Bush added, "it will unite the men who declared the promise of America and defended the promise of America with the man who redeemed the promise of America."
For more than three hours, friends, family and those who were simply inspired by Dr. King's message and life's work spoke about his lasting legacy. Winfrey said she lives in a perpetual state of gratitude to the civil rights pioneer.
"I am who I am because of the struggles of Dr. King, because of his leadership, because of his belief in hope for this country," Winfrey said. "My life is what it is because of his work."
Perhaps the most poignant moment came just as participants were about to shovel the first soil for the memorial onto the ground. With tears streaming from his eyes, King's close friend and fellow civil rights activist, Andrew Young, recalled his time with the spiritual leader. The Rev. Jesse Jackson cried with him as Young challenged onlookers to carry on the dream.
"As we turn the dirt in this ground, let us go back to our communities and turn the dirt and provide a clean and pure lifestyle for our children; and get rid of the crime. Bring forward the wisdom and the truth," Young said.
Dr. King's children were also on hand for today's ceremony, and spoke about seeing their father's dream of peace and justice realized in today's America.
"The hope is for generations yet unborn that young people will come here from all over the world and be inspired to go out and make a difference in our nation and world," eldest son Martin Luther King III told ABC News.
Their mother, Dr. King's widow, Coretta Scott King, died earlier this year.
The reality of a King memorial, however, is not firmly set in stone. Only $69.4 million of the $100 million needed to build the memorial has been raised so far. The organizers hope that contributions will continue to come in even as construction is underway.
As Rabbi David Saperstein of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism told the crowd, "While death takes people, it can never take away their dreams."
For more information on the National Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, go to www.buildthedream.org.
About The King Center
Established in 1968 by Coretta Scott King, The King Center
is the official, living memorial dedicated to the advancement
of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of America’s
greatest nonviolent movement for justice, equality and peace.
Please visit us at www.thekingcenter.org.
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