August 28, 1963
October 16, 2011
President Obama dedicates the statue of Dr. King at the National Mall in Washington, DC. This is the last statue that can, by law, be erected at this site. Dr. King's statue is between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials in a "line of leadership" as described by its designers.
The President took the opportunity to deliver Dr. King's message of peaceful resistance in a current context:
From NPR:
"Obama urged Americans to harness the energy of the civil rights movement for today's challenges and to remain committed to King's philosophy of peaceful resistance."
"Referring to citizen protests against the wealthy and powerful that have spread from Wall Street and Washington, even abroad, Obama said: "Dr. King would want us to challenge the excesses of Wall Street without demonizing those who work there."
Full NPR article here
