"The Stone of Hope" statue is seen at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on August 28, 2014 in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) WASHINGTON - As Americans observe Martin Luther King Jr.
Day on Monday, the federal holiday sets the stage for the 10th anniversary of the late civil rights leader’s memorial in Washington, D.C.The memorial, which stands near the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, was the first to honor an African American individual on the National Mall.
The U.S. National Park Service dedicated the 30-foot, white granite statue at West Potomac Park in August 2011.The vision for the monument came in 1996, after Congress authorized Dr.