Martin Luther King, Jr. to be memorialized

D.C. is well known for its monuments to prominent historical figures. Presidents Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Jefferson, Grant, Garfield and Physicist Albert Einstein all have memorials throughout the district. In 2010, one more famous American will join their ranks: slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The process so far has been far from simple. Recent plans to build restrooms and a bookstore at the site called for additional funds, bringing the projected cost to $120 million.

“When they asked me to be a part of this it was supposed to be a two year effort and it was all supposed to cost $2 million…there is a “2″, but there’s a “1″ on one side and a “0″ on the other,” joked Executive Architect Dr. Ed Jackson during a Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation briefing with civil rights pioneers.

The memorial will be erected on the bank of the tidal basin, between the Lincoln and the Jefferson memorials. The entrance to the memorial will be marked with a large boulder that has been sliced through the middle. Once inside, visitors will see the boulder’s mid section, with King’s likeness carved into the side.

The design by Chinese master sculptor Lei Yixin symbolizes King’s call to “hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope” from his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.