Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

This past weekend, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial was set to open and a dedication was planned. However, with Irene's double booking in the area, the dedication was postponed.

It worked out in my favor because I was able to visit Dr. King myself and admire the memorial. Dr. King's stoic gaze over the Tidal Basin is surrounded by his powerful words.

From the sunset

Enlightening generations

The memorial is awesome and a long-time coming. However, I am a little peeved that the "artist" took some "artistic license" with some of the quotes from Dr. King. For example, the Washington Post article pointed out the most obvious misquote emblazoned on the side of the memorial:

"I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness."

Dr. King's actual quote from the end of a speech called The Drum Major Instinct:

"Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter."

If you have ever heard Dr. King's speeches, you know that he was not boastful, but humble. Take the words out of context make him sound arrogant almost. It's unfortunate that someone wasn't able to correct the quote, but like so many things, they didn't bother to consult with me.

If you have a chance, take some time to visit the memorial and take in all the positiveness and change that Dr. King helped bring about in time of turmoil. Such an inspiration.