The Stone of Hope: Moving the Dream Forward

-On this 10th anniversary of the dedication of our memorial to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr... -Democracy... -...we thank the Creator...

-...justice, hope, and love. Those are the four tenets that are central to Dr. King's vision. These tenets function as a reminder of what we aspire to become.

-This monument, whatever your age, is dedicated to a man whose voice we can still hear. -I have a dream...

Cheering and applause

-Let's go forth from this sacred place -...my four little children -of tumult and turmoil with hope and promise of a nation always -will one day live in a nation -seeking, always striving, always keeping the faith. -where they will not be judged -- -When I look up at that face, I get a sense of peace. I get a sense of of gratitude. And it's just -- it just does my soul good.

-In fact, you can almost refer to America as before King and after King and so, it's very appropriate for him to be here. It's been long overdue. -It says a lot that we would create a memorial that, I hope, inspires people to work to make our nation a better nation, to actually make it become the nation that it ought to be because that's what my father dedicated his life to. -We will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.

With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. -Funding for......provided by the Wells Fargo Foundation. Because we believe the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial helps build a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.

And the... Because honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy is America at its best.

-Hey, Chris, do you know how long the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial has been there? -Ten years. -Ten years.

-Wow. So, Nicholas, if Martin Luther King came back today -- let's just say he had that ability -- what would you think he would be the happiest about? -I think he'd be happy about how America isn't as segregated as it was was when he alive. -Yeah.

-We have a lot of connections to the MLK Memorial and we were there for, you know, when it was dedicated and have visited a number of times, but, to the extent that we think about the way our children interact with it, we sort of remind them, you know, my grandfather, their great-grandfather, was a Tuskegee Airman who helped integrate the military and happens to be an Alpha Phi Alpha who helped to raise money for the memorial itself as well. My father was at the march in 1963 and certainly has shared those stories with us and, you know, when we think about not just them, but our grandmothers, our mothers, and the folks in our lives who, through the work that they've done, the education they got, the way they raised us, really have tied us to Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy and we feel that very acutely in the family and love the opportunity to share that with our kids. All of the memorials and monuments that are on the mall are about remembering critical times, critical people, critical moments in this nation's history, where we had the opportunity to go in lots of different directions and really have advanced. And that, to us, is important, not just, obviously, for our kids and our family, but for the whole nation and visitors from all over the world to remember that, individually, we have a voice, we can all serve, and we can all find ways to advance the beloved community that Dr.

King fought so long for. -But I think having the memorial gives them a real-life figure to kind of focus on. Having all this information in the same place really is a great teaching opportunity for any parent, but definitely for parents of Black children in challenging times. -Piper's turn.

-Ooh, it's a long one, too. -It is. -"We are determined here in Montgomery to work and fight until justice runs down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream. Alabama, 1955." -Just 10 years old, the Martin Luther King Jr.

Memorial in Washington, D.C. is the fifth most-visited memorial on the National Mall, averaging over three million visitors a year. They come from across the country and around the globe to pay tribute to the Stone of Hope and the dream it represents. -I love the memorial a lot.

It is really a celebration of someone's life and actually a fight for justice and that's what we need at the moment in this world -- fighting for justice and equality and avoid all the segregation that is so divisive and, right now, it's happening around the world. So I think the memorial brings all of us together and it's very meaningful. -This memorial, this monument, is important because his words are etched in stone, carved out and stretched out in the sacred space. And it's good for people like me to come here and to lay out, to lay prostrate and to remember that there's a dreamer that's dreaming of a better way of being human and being community.

-Well, I like how Martin Luther King, like the sculpture, is very like big and very tall and I feel like that can symbolize how big of a movement he had on like the African Americans and the civil rights movement and everything like that. -Only a few of these visitors are aware that it takes 27 hard years of fighting racially based obstacles and raising $120 million before the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial finds a home on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The idea for the King Memorial dates to January of 1984, when a small group of Alpha Phi Alpha members sitting around a breakfast table decide the time is right to honor their fraternity brother Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Alpha Phi Alpha adopts the memorial concept as a national program and begins the long and challenging task of lobbying Congress, pushing for legislation to authorize the building of a King memorial. -Each year, more and more members of Congress would come onboard as sponsors. But then, there was this kind of Berlin Wall, so to speak -- these senators and members of the House who were dead set against it and, because of their seniority and power, they would kill the bill.

-It took 12 years, from 1984 to 1996, before President Clinton finally signed the legislation. -I thought that there ought to be a Martin Luther King memorial. I thought it ought to be on the Mall. -To work together, to pray together...

-I think that he helped us make -to struggle together, to go to jail together... -an incredibly important... -to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will -...transition in American life -be free one day. -with relatively little violence and recrimination and I think, you know, it's -- So I was proud to sign the bill and I was proud of Congress for passing it.

-With the creation of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial now authorized by law, the next step is to determine a specific location. The Alphas seek a spot on the Tidal Basin, but are repeatedly told that Tidal Basin is reserved for presidents. -We persevered and we believed very firmly, and still do, that Dr.

King deserved a memorial commensurate with his legacy and what he meant, not only to this country, but to the social consciousness of this world. So we persevered and we were able to secure this four-acre site on the Tidal Basin. -So we move into another phase, after the site has been approved, to a design competition. -A call for entries for an international design competition draws over 1,500 proposals from 52 countries.

Such a response presents its own challenges. Alpha rents the MCI Center, home of the Washington Wizards and Mystics basketball teams, as a venue large enough for all the design models to be displayed. A panel of judges from around the world is assembled. Twenty-one finalists are selected.

-We asked the 21 finalists to send us one additional board in 30 days and, when we reconvened the jury, in the first hour, 30 days later, we had the winner. It was Number 1403, ROMA Design Group from San Francisco, California. -Now, with the design, you could move into the fundraising phase. -Our initial budget, which was a wild scientific guess, was $100,000.

Now this is back in 1984. We had no idea what it would cost. We'd never done this before. There was no manual put together on how you do this.

-And I don't think any of us, in our wildest dreams, would ever have thought that, when we were looking to raise $40,000 or $50,000 that we were going to be able to generate millions of dollars. -In May of 1998, having spent over a million dollars themselves, the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha charter the Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation. Alpha men run the foundation, but they realize that, after nearly 15 years of financial and logistical support from the fraternity, alone, it's time to seek help from other institutions. The foundation launches a series of grassroots campaigns.

They host dream dinners in cities across the country, in search of major donors. Every method of fundraising is put into action. It takes 11 years to raise the $120 million. In October of 2009, federal agencies issue a building permit for the Martin Luther King Jr.

Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Construction starts two months later and is completed within two years. -And the symmetry of history is incredible. So, on the very land that the memorial is on, that was a place where Black men, predominately, who built the White House and the Capitol actually lived.

And so you can imagine persons building the White House, building the Capitol, never imagining that one of their own would ever occupy the White House and then, in the midst of that, to have a Black president to be the one that oversees the dedication of the King Memorial, it is absolutely incredible, how all of this came together, that a Black president would be the one to dedicate the memorial. -I'm certain my father was looking down on us that day and the fact that the manifestation, or some level of the manifestation of work that he and his team had done was the reflection because of the fact that the nation had elected its first African American president. -And, lo and behold, who ends up dedicating it, but President Obama, the first African American president of the United States. So apropos that he did.

-I can only imagine the responsibility and the weight that was on the president's shoulders those days, as he dedicated the memorial, because, in many ways, while he is, in some ways, the embodiment of what Dr. King was talking about, he also knows there's a lot of work to be done and he was inheriting that. -But I think that Dr. King, truly visionary, I think that he felt that, one day, one day, we would, in fact, have an African American president.

It's unfortunate that that did not occur during his lifetime, but I think that was a part of his larger dream and it came about. and it is interesting that the stars aligned, that the president of the United States of America, an African American, would dedicate a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King on the National Mall in the nation's capital. Can't get any better than that.

Cheering, whistling, and applause

- Precious Lord -Because he had seen hills and mountains made low and rough places made plain and the crooked places made straight and God make a way out of no way, that is why we honor this man. Because he had faith in us. - We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome Some-- -On its 10th birthday, the King Memorial finds itself as a unique place where people of all races, nationalities, and creeds come to reflect on the tenets of democracy, justice, hope, and love. -I think this memorial is one among the many memorials that we have here within the National Mall and Memorial Parks that attracts everyone.

It has a meaning for everyone. It has a story for everyone. Dr. King lived his life to serve everyone, to truly make us the melting pot that our forefathers set the groundwork for us to be.

-The speech itself, "I Have a Dream," is not here at the memorial. What you see in the memorial is what he talked about in the speech. He talked about the mountain of despair that African Americans were dealing with at that time, in 1963. And what he also talked about in the speech was the breaking and a pulling out of a stone of hope.

So the memorial is depicting what he talked about in his "I Have a Dream" speech -- the opening of the mountain of despair and the stone of hope that pulls out, carved into the front of it is that image of Dr. King. -It's so important to the country. It's also important to Black Americans and our children and majority folks because it sends a strong message of freedom, of opportunity, of legacy, and this wonderful democracy that we live in.

-It is quintessential American in many ways, right? It is the power of speech, the power of an ordinary person to do something extraordinary and, really, the power of belief in a better tomorrow. -It really gives us yet another symbol of how far we've come and how far we still have to go. Dr.

King stood for the kind of unity that, certainly, our country needs, now, more than ever and having his towering statue there is a reminder of the dream and reminder of the importance that, regardless of race or creed, that we should strive and endeavor to work together to have a more perfect union. -But I also think it brings out certain visitors that may not have been to D.C. Maybe they didn't feel welcome before. They didn't feel, you know, like maybe they connected with some of the other sites and the Martin Luther King Jr.

site does that in a very different way and a very powerful way. -It brought tears. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

stood for so much and it's about time that we had something to represent him. -Well, I think it's important for young people, and especially people of color, to see a reflection of themselves in a positive light. -I think my favorite thing about being here is that there's a community around. Everybody's here for the same reason -- to look at the history and there's amazing quotes on the wall that we can read, that we can be be inspired by, especially just being inspired by the story of MLK and what he's done for us.

-My first thought is the wording on the side of him -- hope. That's what means a lot to me, is the hope because, as a Black woman and our Black culture, we've been hoping and wishing for a long time for freedom, equality, justice, and that's what his statue means to me. -It seems that everybody who visits the King Memorial takes pictures because sometimes photographs tell a story better than words. Pulitzer Prize writer Eudora Welty once said, "A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away."

Camera shutter clicks

So many special moments at the King Memorial are brilliantly captured by its official photographer, Gediyon Kifle. -I was born in Ethiopia. In the midst of political turmoil in the '70s and '80s, we fled the country for political reason. Lost my dad and all of his brothers, so, we came here and I've spent more time here and this is home for me.

My mother actually gave me my first camera in 1981. It was a 110 camera, Kodak 110. So I give credit to my mother, who initiated my love for photography. My first exposure with Dr.

King was in sixth grade in Greenville, North Carolina, in history class. That was my first knowledge. You know, obviously, over the years, in school, you learn history and the civil rights movement and American history. And, obviously, photographing the Martin Luther King Memorial project has given me firsthand experience.

It is a big responsibility, to this day, and knowing that you are doing this job for history, for the next generation to see. And that's a great responsibility, but also, you know, once-in-a-lifetime experience as a photographer. Seeing kids, adults, really absorbing what he said throughout his journey and just seeing young kids experiencing the memorial and, hopefully, this inspires them to do what Dr. King gave his life for.

And......here's April 4th, you know, the day he was assassinated, what is the irony of these cherry blossoms really blossoming and... As you remember the horror of history, but also, you know, nature tells us there's hope. And just seeing, you know, generations of father and sons coming and witnessing. That is the power of a monument and power of human endeavor and really seeing the fruits of labor to put this memorial together, the many ups and downs.

-Because Gediyon has been the MLK Memorial's official photographer since the beginning, his pictures not only tell the incredible story of the many people who came together to help make the memorial a reality, they also illuminate how the memorial, every day, brings life to Dr. King's dream. -Yes! -Let freedom ring and, if America to be a great nation, this must become true.

-Yeah. -So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring -Yes. -from the mighty mountains of New York.

-Yes! -Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. -Alright. -Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. -Yes! -But not only that, let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. -Yes!

Cheering

-Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. -Some of Gediyon's early photographs, taken before the memorial was built, are ones he will never forget. -At the early stage, when the groundbreaking, there's one image that stuck with me -- the family, Dr. King's family, and those who walked with him -- Dr.

Dorothy Height, Congressman Lewis, Ambassador Young, Jesse Jackson -- and having all those in one spot and they were reminiscing or they were acknowledging Dr. King and they were all emotional. -I just want to do God's will and he's allowed me to go up to the mountain -Go ahead. -and I've looked over -Yes, sir.

-and I've seen the Promised Land. -Go ahead. Go ahead. -I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.

Cheering

-I did get a call one day and it was the British Embassy, saying, "Hey, look, Prince Charles and Lady Camilla will be in town on so-and-so date. He wants you to give him a tour of the memorial," and he named other people that he wanted in the picture and so he wanted John Lewis in there. He wanted Jesse Jackson. Congresswoman Sewell from Alabama.

And so got everybody rounded up and went and gave them all a tour and he was excited to be there. Prince Charles was, as was Lady Camilla. But there are other world leaders that stop by, there are entertainers that stop by there. There's a great picture of Spike Lee over there.

Lionel Richie stops by there. So, we don't know who all stops by because sometimes they go in the middle of the night, when nobody's out there, but they make it a point to stop by the Martin Luther King Memorial, just to walk around and read the quotes and look at Dr. King. -The visit to the King Memorial by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 30, 2014, pushes the pendulum of history into full circle.

In 1959, friends encourage Dr. King to travel to India and so he and Coretta take off for a 30-day visit. While in India, King learns more about Mahatma Gandhi and the success of his nonviolent method of protest to bring about political and social change. While planning his state visit to Washington, D.C.

in 2014, India's Prime Minister Modi expresses interest in visiting the King Memorial. Officials at the Indian Embassy reach out to the National Park Service. -Got a call from the embassy for India and their prime minister, Prime Minister Modi, who had not been in office very long, was coming to the United States and, during his visit, he wanted to visit -- this is early in the morning -- the King Memorial, to lay a wreath; and also to go down to the Lincoln Memorial. Got a call.

So I was going to be here early,

about 8

00 in the morning. Got a call the night before from Secret Service and Secret Service said, "The prime minister's still coming tomorrow, but someone's going to be visiting with him." -The night before the scheduled visit, Prime Minister Modi dines with President Obama and casually mentions that he will be visiting the King Memorial the following day. President Obama decides he will accompany Modi. The following morning, after making a public appearance together, President Obama and Prime Minister Modi jump in the presidential limousine and take the short trip down Pennsylvania Avenue to the King Memorial.

-It was quite the event the next day. It was a great honor, meeting President Obama. They wanted me here to actually talk with them a little bit about the memorial, but President Obama sent word that he wanted to be the interpreter for the event. -The King Memorial holds a special place in President Obama's heart.

As he did with Prime Minister Modi, other world leaders visit the King Memorial with President Obama proudly serving as their tour guide. On at least one occasion, the president sneaks his family to the memorial, completely unannounced. The Great March on Washington, on August 28th, 1963, remains the most significant demonstration for freedom and opportunity in the history of the United States.

Cheering and applause

Whistling

about 8

-I have a dream that, one day, on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves -- -Martin Luther King spoke with moral authority and, when he spoke, it had a credibility that people don't have today. You just can't talk like that and have people follow it. Very few people have that kind of moral authority. But, when he spoke and explained his dream, it let people know where we were going.

-In Alabama, little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands -- -Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech is forever etched into the fabric of this country... -I have a dream today. -...as is the tradition of the National Mall, serving as the world stage for Americans to practice their rights, protected by the First Amendment.

-The amazing thing about the Mall, that separates it and makes it so much more than just stone and inscriptions, is they have a chance to actually act on those words. We see over 600 demonstrations every year and people have a chance to challenge and reinvent and reimagine and reinterpret what those words mean and, in many ways, to follow in Dr. King's legacy. -Hello, Washington.

-Hello!

Applause

about 8

My name is Yolanda Renee King and I am the proud granddaughter of Coretta Scott King and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -We can express our concerns about shortcomings of our military, as it will, and that is still a cherished privilege that the American people experience and so you may even see today a demonstration, maybe 25 people, or maybe 100,000. So, it is America's front yard or backyard, but it's a place in which people can come to say that, "We are Americans.

These are our concerns and we have the right to express those concerns." -That freedom of speech, the ability to protest and to shape the moral compass of this country, to say, "This is not who we are as Americans. This is something we need to stand up and fight for." -

Chanting indistinctly

about 8

-Now! -What do we want?! -Voting rights! -When do we want it?!

-Now! -Inevitably, the 28th day of August, the anniversary of Dr. King's 1963 march, finds Americans on the streets of Washington, D.C., making their way to the nation's front lawn. -So, 58 years ago, of course, at the Lincoln Memorial, Dad delivered his vision for our nation, the "I Have a Dream" speech.

The focus was jobs and freedom. Yesterday, our focus was specifically talking about expanding the right to vote. -It's sad to me that we are still like living getting to the dream of all of us being united as the United States and as people. But, as I mentioned before, that energy that you get when you're in a crowd and you can feel the love and the united behavior with everyone, instead of the head-butting and hate that's been happening in the U.S., it just was really empowering and a great, great feeling.

-On such occasions, the King Memorial and the Stone of Hope provide a unique and appropriate place for reflection and rejuvenation. -

Chanting

about 8

These racist cops have got to go! Hey, hey! Ho, ho! -So, those people who want to highlight where we are today, as a country, want to highlight where we need to be going, as a country, this is the perfect place to do that because that strain between where we are and where we ought to be going, or what we are and what we ought to be, can be memorialized here in this memorial and to use this as the venue to be able to express that aspiration -- I can't think of any other place.

"Amazing Grace" plays

Camera shutters clicking

about 8

-On other occasions, the spirituality of Dr. King, which permeates the memorial site, takes control, encouraging visitors to pause for a moment to reflect and pray. -Yeah, so it's really uncanny. You will see, at the Lincoln Memorial and since Dr.

King's speeches, it has become a site that really is associated with protests and with demonstrations and you'll see all kinds of emotions there. And then, it's amazing, though. Many of those same people will go over to the King site and it's a totally different feeling. It is reverent.

-There is a peace, a serenity, over at the Martin Luther King Memorial. It's a peace that you feel a comforting zone. When you walk through it, you read the words of Dr. King.

The words, even though they were written 50, 60 years ago, are still very, very much needed today. -I first had a chance to go to the King Memorial on my birthday, the evening of my birthday. I was just driving past and I saw it and I said, "Well, let me just drive in." And so there were very few people. And so the reverence and just having a chance, almost to be by myself at the memorial, was, for me, a spiritual experience and I believe, that Sunday, I preached better than I normally would have.

But it was a very spiritual, a very sacred moment and then, to have a chance to read so many of the quotes. It was inspiring for me, as a preacher, to continue the work and legacy of Dr. King. -It's the kind of transformative experience that takes place when you go to an exhibit or when you read a book and it's life-changing.

When you find a passage in the Bible, a piece of scripture, something that you hold on to. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." So, Dr. King spoke eloquently, yet, he spoke for the common man. But I think Dr.

King would be proud for both, that he would be proud to think that his life was one by which it inspires persons to have a sense of reverence and to be self-reflective, as to what their role should be in the liberation of people who are being oppressed. But I think he also would be very happy to see the masses come out at the memorial and utilize his legacy to make a difference in the country, and the world.

Piano plays poignant tune

about 8

-Now in its tenth year of existence, the influence of the King Memorial reaches far beyond its four-acre home on the National Mall and directly into communities across the country. The Memorial Foundation, which is the private operating arm of the King Memorial, runs several programs designed to move the country closer to the beloved community envisioned by Dr. King. The Social Justice Fellows Program trains emerging leaders from across the nation on how to secure social justice in their local towns and neighborhoods.

-We have identified 50 fellows from around the country who are leaders of the social action movements in their individual states. We've put together a program that educates them on how to be successful, how to address the challenges that are systemic in their communities, how to run for office to change those opportunities, how to create new opportunities for the future. -We've got some outstanding students and young men and women from across the country, ages 18 to 35. They met for eight weeks with Roland Martin and with distinguished lecturers to talk about issues that are germane to them and a project that they're working on.

-For me, specifically, I have a passion for agriculture and ensuring that there is equity, when it comes to food security, ensuring that there's equity across the platforms and access to food. So, right now, I'm working with my local community to really amplify the voices and the work that people on the ground are already doing. -I'm a proud HBCU graduate of Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and started a program called Vote HBCU. And so about HBCU, we help educate, mobilize, and activate HBCU students in a nonpartisan way and just giving HBCU students a chance to have their voice as part of the conversation.

-There is so much going on within the world that people are tired. Are we talking about climate change today? Are we talking about COVID today? Are we talking about gun violence today or are we talking about the voting rights bill today?

Give me your topic. I will talk about all of them, right? And just send me. That's what the fellowship taught me.

It is to use my voice in whatever way and whatever platform. -Content on YouTube and really understanding -- -One of the greatest things I learned is really about how the media can play into social justice movements and how the media is so important when you're trying to get your word out, as well as also knowing what people on the other side are thinking. I think that was my favorite session, overall, was just understanding the different types of media, understanding the importance of getting your message out and how earned media, paid media, and different types of mediums can be used for that. -But I think it was great to see the figures we may see on, you know, CNN or any big news platform and then having them there with us to talk about these issues and even thinking about their journey, their experience, and how they're able to work together.

-My dad gave me the best advice ever about being on TV. He said, "You never argue with a fool because people watching can't tell the difference." -The lecturers have just given it to us real. They're not talking about, you know, "This is what I do, blah blah blah." We talk about -- How do you survive? How do you go home to your family at the end of the day?

How do you raise a family? How do you take time for self-care? How do you keep fighting when people misconstrue and twist your words? -Next year, we will bring those 50 students here to D.C.

in a capstone project to meet with members of Congress, senators, and policymakers to talk about how do you take protest to policy? So, some of these kids could've been kids that marched or led protests after George Floyd. We go like, "That's fine, but what happens after you protest and what do you do with what you want to change?" We're so excited about that program. -Okay.

Hello, everybody. Thank you for having me. -I'm going to put that down -- -Continuing to expand the reach of the King Memorial while encouraging the development of a younger group of leaders, the Memorial Foundation hosts the Martin Luther King Jr. Global Leadership Conference.

Designed for high school students, the conference provides valuable interactive learning activities and inspiring presentations by renowned civic and business leaders. Throughout the conference, students examine leadership principles advocated by Dr. King and his contemporaries. -And it was great.

We brought in young kids and they went through two days. We had Roland Martin speak to them. We had the lieutenant governor of Virginia speaking to them. We had Kevin Durant's mother speaking to them, along with other speakers.

-What drives you in the morning? What is that thing that's -- -Well, this particular conference is really set on the back and, really, the shoulders of our ancestors that came before us. Many students don't realize how challenging it has been for our community to want to be educated, to have access to capital, and just really understand what does global opportunity really look like. -We also discussed being able to have guts and grit, so that you can accomplish your dreams and go after whatever you set your mind to.

We also gave out some tips on credit enhancement and being able to financially prepare for your life and how you might go about preparing for a college application as well. And we just went around and answered different questions that people had on their hearts and minds, to really make them feel comfortable in the conference and for it to be an exciting and rewarding experience for all. -It makes me more hopeful about the future of our country and of our world, to have young people taking on positions of leadership and seeing even high schoolers, people who have a vision, to help other people. And so I think it's right in line with what Dr.

King preached and what he lived for and so I think he'd be very proud of what we saw here today. -Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What an inspiration, for them to be a part of something that's a part of his legacy.

So, that's why I think it's important for them to be here. -The memorial's vast and growing impact is emblematic of Dr. King's legacy as a continuing journey, with much work still to be done. -I think what we're doing here is saying, "You know what?

Yes, we designed, we built, and created a national memorial in honor of Dr. King. But what about his thoughts? What about his speeches?

What about his life?" -All of this is based on what Dr. King referred to as "life's most persistent and urgent question -- What are you doing for others?" The celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial's 10-year anniversary begins on Saturday morning, October 16, 2021. People gather at the memorial to recognize a group of young and gifted students who represent the hope of future generations.

- Lift every voice And sing Till death and heaven ring Ring with the harmonies Of liberty Let our rejoicing Rise -It is my honor, on behalf of the Memorial Foundation and Nguzo Saba Institute, to welcome you to our hope -- the young, the gifted, and promised generation.

Applause

about 8

-For years, we have fought for voice and diversity, but, seems, when we have it, it creates adversity. -"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We must never adjust to injustice and inequality." -The pleasure, the happiness, tears, fear cannot amount to the power you can find in love, can never amount to the power that you find in love. -Today, we actually brought in a youth component for our celebration of the 10-year.

And so we had a group come in that we supported. They brought in all young people -- high school, college kids, even younger than that. They did a dance thing. They did their music.

And, actually, again, another set of folks, who the memorial was not even designed to attract, but it has attracted them and it's actually built for them, as my comment said. This is really for the future, for them to see what the memorial really stands for and be able to say, "Wow!" - I was born by the river In a little tent Oh, and just like the river I've been running Ever since -There are many events associated with the King Memorial's anniversary, including a special reception for the members of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity are forever linked, for, without the brothers of Alpha, there would be no memorial.

On this solemn occasion, the Alpha men reflect on the fraternity's greatest achievement. -A bold group of Alpha Brothers gathered. -A tribute is paid to those visionary Alpha men who first conceived the idea for a King Memorial. The program continues with the recounting of the 27-year history of building the memorial, a journey filled with frustrations and challenges, overcome with persistence and dedication.

Senator Raphael Warnock serves as keynote speaker and, after thanking the Alphas for creating the King Memorial, he reminds the fraternity there is still much work to be done. -Defining moment and say that a vote is about your voice, and your voice is your human dignity and we fought too hard, we died too young, we lost too much Black lives. We've struggled to much, in order to -- -Dr. King's decision to join Alpha Phi Alpha while in graduate school begins a long and strong relationship based on mutual respect and support.

Being together on the anniversary of the King Memorial further strengthens this historic bond. -And this 10th anniversary represents, for Alpha Phi Alpha, what we call an Ebenezer -- a significant point in our journey that we can turn and look and see the culmination of our work. -The night before the ceremony at the King Memorial, friends and supporters attend a formal 10th Anniversary gala. In many regards, this is a reunion of the people and organizations who played a critical role in bringing the Martin Luther King Jr.

Memorial to the National Mall. The evening is truly a celebration, festive, with dinner, music, and entertainment. There are speeches from individuals who offer their perspective on the importance of the King Memorial and the many successes it has achieved during its first 10 years.

Applause

about 8

The highlight of the evening comes when Congressman Jim Clyburn explains how the many lessons of Dr. King can help address the challenges of today. -That time is neutral. Time can never be right.

It can never be wrong. We can either use it constructively or destructively. This country does not have to be made great again. This country is great.

Our challenge is to make this country's greatness accessible and affordable for all of its people.

Applause

about 8

-Though it is a high-end birthday party enjoyed by everyone, never does the central message leave the minds of the attendees. They are here to pay respect to Dr. King and the memorial, which bears his name.

"If I Can Help Somebody" plays

about 8

- If I can help somebody As I travel along -A beautiful morning on October 21, 2021 - If I can change -provides an ideal setting for the 10th anniversary commemoration - Somebody With a word -of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial... - A word or song -...hosted by Hill Harper, author, actor, and activist. Spectators from across the country hear a bit of preaching, praying, and a lot of singing.

- Then my living Shall not -Wow. What a spectacular moment. Good morning, everyone.

Cheering and applause

about 8

-I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. -Speakers of all ages participate in the ceremony. Some recall the history of the memorial, and others discuss the memorial's tenets -- democracy, justice, hope, and love. -Of transforming an enemy into a friend.

-...ain America Ame...

Applause

about 8

-It is rare that the three most powerful leaders of the United States participate in the same event, but, on this day, that is exactly what happens. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi arrives first and is soon followed by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

"Hail to the Chief" plays

about 8

These prominent leaders offer powerful insights into the important lessons found in Dr. King's memorial. Lessons which give the world hope for a better tomorrow. -In his book "Strength to Love," Dr.

King said, "God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty." That challenge, that call to action, could not be more important than it is today. -As Dr. King did, we must keep believing a better future is possible. And, as Dr.

King did, we must keep pushing toward that future. -But here we stand with Dr. King to show, out of struggle, there's progress. Out of despair, there's hope.

From the promise of equality and opportunity, of jobs, justice, and freedom, we see Black excellence, American excellence. Black History as American history and a defining source of the might of this nation. That's why we're here today -- to renew our own courage in the shadow and the light on the shoulders of Dr. King.

The memorial's young life already reflects that of Dr. King's -- spirituality is always present and protests, which peacefully question the status quo, are also part of the memorial's energy. Together, these realities, along with it being a special and sacred place to visit, demonstrate that the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Memorial is alive and contributing to Dr. King's vision of a better world. -This was a man that was immutable in time, but the principles he stood for are worth us coming to at least see and read about his legacy. And to have it memorialized on the Mall of our nation's capital, that's very important, not to just U.S.

citizens, but to the global community. -And so it's not just for African Americans in America, but I think it's a memorial for persons who are fighting for truth and justice and equality across the world, to see this as something that represents there's still hope and, if you are able to work and fight and believe that what you're fighting for can make a difference, then change can come. -So, Dr. King, his deeds serve as lessons for us to learn, serve as sources of inspiration, encouragement.

Don't give up. And, as one of Dr. King's close friends better phrased it, "Occasionally, we have to make good trouble." -I think you can help bring this country together by just being a beacon, being a light, being a path to offer courage to people to take those steps necessary to move us forward, to get out of their comfort level, to reach their hands out, to empathize with others. -And then, I think about the words when he said, "It doesn't matter where you stand during times of comfort and convenience, but it's the actions that you take during the time of challenges and controversy." -My dad wanted to really create the kind of America that was more inclusive, that did not discriminate against anyone, and, really, should not.

And so, I think this memorial has us thinking, particularly when you walk through and read all the quotes, you can derive inspiration and, hopefully, go back to your community, wherever it is, and decide, "You know, guess what. I can do more." -If you believe in democracy, everything will be fine. If you believe in justice, everything will be fine. If you believe in love, everything will be fine.

And then, if you just have hope, everything will be fine. That's why the memorial is so important, because of those four themes, and, if we, as Americans, lived off those four themes, then we wouldn't be a divided country, we'd be a country coming together, saying we believe in democracy, justice, hope, and love. -Funding for......provided by the Wells Fargo Foundation. Because we believe the Martin Luther King Jr.

Memorial helps build a more inclusive and sustainable future for all. And the... Because honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

and his legacy is America at its best.