Greetings from Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial

This park is part of the reason we bought our home here, 25 years ago. We’ve gone through 2 sets of black labs, as my wife had cancer, & we couldn’t have kids. But the park path is “maintained” year-round (mowed, to plowed), so this makes for a wonderful source of nature, & location for exercise! The dogs love it, & I love the work-out in nature!

Sincerely,
Guy

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial was designed to evoke a symbolic journey through struggle into hope. To enter the memorial, visitors pass through a 30-foot boulder, inscribed with the famous words from King's iconic 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech: "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." Just beyond the entrance, one wedge of rock distinctly emerges from the boulder — the "Stone of Hope" that stands at the centerpiece of the memorial — a contemplative statue of King overlooking the Tidal Basin. A 450-foot crescent-shaped granite wall surrounds this Stone of Hope, inscribed with quotations by King representing themes of justice, democracy, hope and love. This 2011 tribute to King's legacy is the first major memorial on the National Mall to honor an African-American and a leader who was not an American president.

State(s): District of Columbia

Established: 2011

“Block-watch, & village maintenance.”

National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!

{{ active ? "Cancel" : "Begin"}}

Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.

You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.

In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!

Here’s your unique story page link:

{{ storyUrl }}

* indicates Required fields

Click to choose a file to upload

Submitting your story means that you agree to our Terms of Service

More Stories

  • Greetings from Grand Canyon National Park

    Where Our Story Began The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is where our story began. Our mothers knew each other in Tucson, but somehow Bruce and I had never met. Years later, we both ended up working at the North Rim — Bruce on the fire crew and me…

  • Greetings from Big Bend National Park

    I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma and my parents and I visited Big Bend National Park every New Year’s Eve from 2011 to 2020. We loved hiking in the Chisos Basin, watching the stars at night, taking the boat into Boquillas, Mexico, looking at the dinosaur fossils, and all of the…

  • Greetings from Gateway National Recreation Area

    I have been kayaking in Jamaica bay with the National Park Rangers for a few years. It is amazing to see the amount of wildlife in this urban park.

Donate

Preserve Our Parks

Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.

Donate Now