On Sunday (Oct. 16), President Barack Obama dedicated the Martin Luther King Memorial after touring the monument with First Lady Michelle Obama, their daughters, Sasha and Malia, and family members of Dr. King.
The event included speeches from noted individuals including Congressman John Lewis, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, among others. Musical and spoken tributes were also made by Mary Mary, Nikki Giovanni, Aretha Franklin (SEE PERFORMANCE VIDEO BELOW) and more.
“An earthquake and hurricane may have delayed this day, but it was a day not to be denied,” the president said, opening his dedication:
For this day, we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s return to the National Mall. In this place, he will stand for all time, among monuments to those who fathered this nation and those who defended it; a black preacher with no official rank or title who somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams and our most lasting ideals, a man who stirred our conscience and thereby helped make our union more perfect.
And Dr. King would be the first to remind us that this memorial is not for him alone. The movement of which he was a part depended on an entire generation of leaders. Many are here today, and for their service and their sacrifice, we owe them our everlasting gratitude. This is a monument to your collective achievement.
Pres. Obama also called on the nation to continue on course to create an “economic system is one in which everybody gets a fair shake and everybody does their fair share” as we “keep pushing for what ought to be, the America we ought to leave to our children, mindful that the hardships we face are nothing compared to those Dr. King and his fellow marchers faced 50 years ago“. View the president’s full speech below.
President Barack Obama’s MLK Memorial Dedication
Aretha Franklin Performs “Precious Lord”
The QUEEN Came, She Saw, and She Left yet another Mark of History!
Wish I was there. For some reason, I don’t think that obama is going to get another term.
Thank You MLK*
HELL WE (BLACK PEOPLE) CANT AFFORD FOR HIM NOT TO HAVE ANOTHER TERM BUT HONESTLY OUR (BLACKS) VOTES DONT COUNT BC WE ARE NOT THE MAJORITY BUT PEOPLE DONT REALIZE ALL THAT HE HAS DONE BUT WE CAN THANK THE MEDIA FOR THAT..HE WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY FOR DOING THE MOST EVER..CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF HE LOST THIS TERM..CHANGE WILL COME PEOPLE JUST PRAY TO GOD AN BELIEVE BC WE (BLACKS) ARE IN TROUBLE AND MOST DONT EVEN KNOW IT
I was there it was really nice, except it was sooooo damn crowded to me almost 4 hours to get home and I live 45min away. Great job DC..thank you.
I most definitely agree with you.
Thank you MLK for having courage, in the face of adversity, and a bias Jim Crow country. You could have easily, sucked up, step in fetched, but you did’nt. Thanks you. Sidenote: someone has already said that Obama’s best chance of serving another term as president, is if he has Hillary Clinton on the ballot with him.
How 6tall is Malia gonna get? She’s only 13 and damn near as tall as her dad.
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