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John Makely / NBC News
The Martin Luther King Jr. Monument stands within view of the Washington Monument on the mall in Washington, D.C.
John Makely / NBC News
Latanya Rogers, left, and Kenyae Reese, right, pose for a photo during their visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
On Sunday afternoon as President Obama was being officially sworn in to begin his second term in the White House, thousands of people visited the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial nearby on the Washington Mall.
John Makely / NBC News
Bernita King, of Los Angeles, Calif.. takes a photograph during her visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
Kenyae Reese, who is from South Bend, Ind., but now lives in Washington, was able to describe the atmosphere as busloads of students and tour groups began to fill the space. "I think it speaks to the growth of the country and really of the world that we're standing here and we finally have a monument to recognize Dr. King. I think it's inspiring to our young people of all races. I don't think it's just an African-American thing. I think its wonderful that we're able to have these celebrations as well, but I think it speaks to the character of our nation and all of us can celebrate and be a part of this. You look out and see people of different races celebrating, so we've come a long way."
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John Makely/ NBC News.com
Early visitors to the Martin Luther King Jr. monument take pictures.
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To and for all those who loved and love him still...
BECAUSE OF HIM
"Our way seems clearer,
Since he shared his precious dream with us,
Those many years ago.
The path he left for us to tread is somehow straighter,
And the journey has more purpose now.
And why?
Because of Him!
We can feel the first warm rays,
Of bright and healing sun.
This bold new day,
Though yet to break full blown,
Has set our hope-filled morn ablaze,
With colors that had gone before unseen.
Our dark grey world,
Is black and white, no more.
And this, because of him.
It seems that only yesterday,
Our endless night gave way to golden dawn,
Then Freedom sang her truth-filled song,
For faithful ears to hear.
He has been our proof,
That honest prayers go not unheard.
Because of him,
The land of promise can be seen,
It is at last that we are free to live the dream.
Pop's 2002
Martin, we miss you, so...
Yoda, you started out great & then lost your way !!!
Martin Luther King Jr. would be ashamed at all of the comments above. He was a man of the people- all of the people. Based on his religious convictions, this one man started a movement that has sadly been lost today. He was much more than a hero- he literally died for his cause, but would be displeased at having a larger than life statue of himself. He wedded freedom, justice, religion, and the rights of the truly downtrodden. If Catholic, he would've been a saint. His life could be summed up by: "he gave all". Nowadays, everyone is looking to receive all - & that's our problem today.
Sorry Yoda, this was written after all the comments below.
I marched with Dr. King. Worst day of my life when he got shot.
I wish the statue had been carved by an African-American sculptor out of a solid piece of American rock. American artists are starving and need the work. But it's more than that. Dr. King is a giant. He deserves better. Why does even a statue of Dr. King need to be outsourced? Why does Michelle Obama wear a Taiwan designer dress and Chinese designer shoes? WTF's going on around here?
The Dr. King statue was carved by Chinese people out of a patchwork of Chinese rock glued together with Chinese glue.
Enjoy your free country. Everybody gets a shot. Even chinese carvers. You wanted it you got it. Maybe someday the FBI will release the tapes they have on him but i doubt it. That would blow the myth right out of the water and we know we can't have that. Think that statue is big enough?
We have come so far but still have far to go.
Wish we had someone like MLK today -- so desperately needed to lead ALL Americans...
Well said!
Just to be clear Ook Ook Jones, it was a young caucasian male who just murdered 26 people in Newtown. Murder is murder and it knows no racial boundaries.
OOk OOk Jones, since you're into dividing up Americans between "us" and "them" why don't you try focusing on cleaning up your own yard first before you start pointing dirty fingers at what others should be doing. There's plenty of crime being perpetrated by white men in this country and in this world; suck your chest back in and take the bass out your voice, your crap stinks just as bad as the rest of us.
This is a America - "United we stand" - if you can't get that much through your neolithic frontal lobe then you know where the door is at; feel free to let swing back at your azz on the way out.
We get that your self esteem is tied into finding fault in others, and that your limbic brain hasn't evolved past tribalistic hatred and 18th Century stereotypes, but the rest of us has things to do here in the 21st so you can either grow TF up and come join us or we can prepare an exhibit for you at the museum of natural history with the rest of the hominids. Your choice, but like it or not the rest of us is moving on.
Doctor King would be horrified at the welfare state and moral depravity that the Black urban community live in.. Blaming everything on others when each person has vast opportunities at their fingertips if only they would grasp them.. The culture has gotten so bad that when a man like Bill Cosby pointed out how off track the Black community has gone they called him Uncle Tom and so called Black leaders and celebrities bad mouthed him..
CE Daly So even without much in the way of facts other then what has been spoon fed to us by the media you have decided that someone was guilty.. What happened to the other men seen at the school?? Why were the men dressed in military assault gear more interested in keeping people out then looking for shooters?? Why did they keep everyone including fire and ambulances away and bring all the bodies to the fire house on 4 wheelers?? I think a more serious and deeper evil has had a hand in this.. Just like 911 certain things just do not add up.. Why did the Government not release the security video of the plane hitting the Pentagon?? Why was the plane photographed by the documentary film crew not a passenger plane but a military plane?? Why was there molten steel and girders that looked cut at ground zero?? Why was all the steel quickly shipped to China?? At the Seekh church people worshiping there saw 4 men in black clothes killing people but the media says just one crazed man was responsible.. Why all of a sudden was there accidents at 3 gun shows on the same day when there had been none for years?? Everyone knows that loaded firearms are not permitted at these events.. Sounds like a whole bunch of false flag shows going on.. Same goes for the guy in Colorado, he looked brainwashed.. The CIA can do this kind of crap and even have a pain chip they can put in someones brain.. So why not ???
We are being fed so many lies that they are all starting to sound real..
Roadrunner - looks like that coyote's after you. Ha ha, just kidding. I hear you about the suspicious events and apparent control of the media, filtering false beliefs and realities. However, vast opportunities? Could it be that they are controlled and manipulated by those in power as well? Urban opportunities - sounds kind of like an oxymoron.
Quite a few people here.... actually most of the sheeple in this country get upset when people speak the TRUTH. Your complacent behavior of looking the other way is a big reason that blacks are eating each other alive. You look the other way and they follow your lead by ignoring the cold hard TRUTH.
Mr. and Ms. White guilt ignore it, the media ignores it, and they ignore it. Way to stand up for your fellow man.
Really ook because I doubt you've met most 'blacks' . I really hate internet trolls .
... take heart, Abby! It will come, there's no stopping freedom. Just "keep your eyes on the prize", remember Martin, and think about how far we, all of us, have come...
Pops
... from slavery, in spite of murdering, racist bastards like you, to the White House; quite a distance I'd say, ass-wipe!
... no proof whatsoever that he (or you, for that matter) has ever murdered anybody. My point is that (and history supports this contention) there are plenty out there, "like" both of you, who have. Got it, cretin? Or is that a tad too subtle for that lump of grey mush between your ears you call a brain.
LOL.... I'm "reported"? Really? By whom, to whom and for what, retard. Now you're behaving like the "punk-ass" brat you, and those like you, really are: The loud-mouth, school-yard, 4th grade bully who gets called for his crap, then runs, whining, to the teacher to "report" that the skinny 3rd. grader, who has had enough of his BS, kicks his butt, then takes his lunch money, for good measure. I'm "reported"! You are priceless! Have a nice day, idiot!
Yoda, ya' stupid f*ck...look into current events, hell, the WHOLE HISTORY of the African continent and the murdering and enslavement of their OWN PEOPLE for THOUSANDS of years longer than "whitey in Amur'kah" and STILL TODAY...not to mention the daily, senseless slaughtering and disrespect of their women in slums and 'hoods across the U.S. every day at present, 100s of deaths every year and numerous, violent crimes and social failures every day at present. And you wanna come on here and talk about how the civilized white man who's keeping this planet and the developed countries afloat as if they are some useless, savage race like the Negro-race? Pshhh. Kid, are you coming on here after highschool classes or something, not knowing your sh*t like that? You take a few isolated incidents about white mass murderers and try to hold that to 100s if not THOUSANDS by the "black race" all around the world, yearly? If you want, I can give you a couple LONG listings of black, serial killers in recent yrs that'd make you sh*t "yo' drawwwws" because you have no clue about them. Make Jeff Dahmer look like a choir girl, and guess what...media never says a f**king WORD as to not scar the image of the black race anymore than the damage it already does to itself juuuusst fine.
Polly Cooper.
There should be a statue of her and a holiday in her memory. I'll wait for it.
Better to look to the future than the past.
So why does statue look so much like a Chairman Mao knock off?
MLK: Made In China.
There are many good blacks and there are bad blacks too.
There are many good whites and there are bad whites too.
God willing the Good will prevail...
Way to speak without really saying anything. In what source did you find these earth shattering statistics?
Here let me try: There are many people in the world some are good and some are bad. See wasted space.
Well, I lived through all the civil rights stuff, and I'm still trying to figure out, what he did, that was so great, considering the state of black america.
Ook Ook Jones, let's assume for sake of discussion (not argument) that everything you write is true. How does any of it bring joy and happiness to your life? Is it just today, or are you filled with anger and (self) hate everyday?
Ook Ook Jones, assume for sake of discussion (not argument) that everything you write is true. How does any of it create joy and happiness in your life? Is there something special about today, or are you so moved by anger and (self) hatred every day?
When the murder rate was sky high in New York City in 1990-92 I'm One of the OLD TIMERS who went into the streets. to tell these drug dealers:" There's enough money out here for everybody"! These guys are unempolyable. They haven't any education. Their PARENTS are to blame for their lack of education.Not the teachers.There are "A" students in every school they are taught at home to APPLY themsevles. these drug dealers are the Ones who wore $150 sneakers and caused trouble in school They weren't raised proper!!
"Has anybody here seen my old friend Martin?"-Abraham, Martin, and John. 1968
Dr. King made the ultimate sacrifice with his unwavering fight for peace, prosperity
and justice for all people.
There is a great deal of work that needs to continue because there is still a battle going
on in America today.
For now, I salute the drum major for peace on MLK Day.
PEACE.
The black man in this country has suffered very little injustice compared to the American Indian ....fact!
Poor you.
According to FBI Assistant Director William B. Sullivan, who had direct access to the surveillance files on King which are denied the American people, King had embezzled or misapplied substantial amounts of money contributed to the "civil rights" movement. King used SCLC funds to pay for liquor, and numerous prostitutes both Black and White, who were brought to his hotel rooms, often two at a time, for drunken sex parties which sometimes lasted for several days. These types of activities were the norm for King's speaking and organizing tours.
Assistant Director William C. Sullivan. Sullivan describes himself as a liberal, and says that initially "I was one hundred per cent for King...because I saw him as an effective and badly needed leader for the Black people in their desire for civil rights." The probe of King not only confirmed their suspicions about King's Communist beliefs and associations, but it also revealed King to be a despicable hypocrite, an immoral degenerate, and a worthless charlatan.
Sullivan also relates an incident in which King met in a financial conference with Communist Party representatives, not knowing that one of the participants was an infiltrator actually working for the FBI.
From 1955 to 1960, Martin Luther King's associate, advisor, and personal secretary was one Bayard Rustin. In 1936 Rustin joined the Young Communist League at New York City College. Convicted of draft-dodging, he went to prison for two years in 1944. On January 23, 1953 the "Los Angeles Times" reported his conviction and sentencing to jail for 60 days for lewd vagrancy and homosexual perversion. Rustin attended the 16th Convention of the Communist Party, USA in February, 1957. One month later, he and King founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, or SCLC for short. The president of the SCLC was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The vice-president of the SCLC was the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, who was also the president of an identified Communist front known as the Southern Conference Educational Fund, an organization whose field director, a Mr. Carl Braden, was simultaneously a national sponsor of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, of which you may have heard. The program director of the SCLC was the Reverend Andrew Young, in more recent years Jimmy Carter's ambassador to the UN and mayor of Atlanta. Young, by the way, was trained at the Highlander Folk School, previously mentioned.
Soon after returning from a trip to Moscow in 1958, Rustin organized the first of King's famous marches on Washington. The official organ of the Communist Party, "The Worker,- - openly declared the march to be a Communist project. Although he left King's employ as secretary in 1961, Rustin was called upon by King to be second in command of the much larger march on Washington which took place on August 28, 1963.
Bayard Rustin's replacement in 1961 as secretary and advisor to King was Jack O'Dell, also known as Hunter Pitts O'Dell. According to official records, in 1962 Jack O'Dell was a member of the National Committee of the Communist Party, USA. He had been listed as a Communist Party member as early as 1956. O'Dell was also given the job of acting executive director for SCLC activities for the entire Southeast, according to the St. Louis "Globe-Democrat - -of October 26, 1962. At that time, there were still some patriots in the press corps, and word of O'Dell's party membership became known.
The U. S. Congressional Record of March 30, 1965 quotes Karl Prussian, an FBI counterspy inside the Communist Party as swearing: "At all of these (Communist Party) meetings Rev. Martin Luther King was always set forth as the individual to whom Communists should rally around... KING HAS EITHER BEEN A MEMBER OF, or willingly accepted support from OVER 60 Communist fronts... King accepted support from communist fronts , individuals and organizations which espouse communist causes."
In other words, Martin Luther King was a commie prevert. But, you are not supposed to focus on that.
Some people here are totally brainwashed by the media. When people point out the fact that blacks make up about 11% of the population, but commit 50% of the total homicides. Jack that up to 84% when you take into account the black on black homicide rate. If you don't believe me go to the FBI database and look it up yourselves.
They hear these disturbing figures and instead of reflecting on these tragic statistics bring up the Newton murders as if that one story can equate to these statistics. Yes the Newton murders were commited by a white person. Everyone has heard and read about it a hundred times. Yet the staggering staistics I speak about above remain under the rug and never spoken about.
All people need to concentrate on the most pressing matters first. I want blacks to first realize that they are killing and aborting each other out of existance.
I hate it when anybody commits murder no matter their skin tone. Blacks will never start to turn the statistics around if they will not realize these facts. There are people out there who do not want them to realize these facts and contiue killing each other off. I'm not one of them. Whites are not perfect and we have our own problems that need to be fixed but statistics don't lie, and the statistics say that blacks have much bigger issues to solve than any other race. Its not about black or white; it's about saving lives.
Peace
Meanwhile, White people are stocking up on weapons like there is no tomorrow...
The black man stages a protest, the government brings a checkbook to resolve their issues. The American Indian has a protest, the government brings firearms as it always has throughout history and into modern times. Why should a government hold praise for one race then steal from and slaughter another?
They gave you casinos, lol
LMAO Imagine all these left wing party of slavery and the KKK liberals celebrating a Republican's birthday.
Perhaps the best way to celebrate/honor MLK is to respect what he said without ANY spin.
Judge people by the content of their character and not by any physical attribute.
Put the past behind (or live it for the rest of your life).
When we can all have the opportunity of being equal without exceptions, we have a good start.
What a beautiful monument to a beautiful human being who stood for justice and equality. I only wish he were alive to witness the interesting times we live in. God Bless America...
If I had a 155mm artillery piece, I'd blow up that statue of that Commie, White prostitute loving N*gger. Then I'd ship all blacks back to Africa and reduce crime and drug use in this country by 70%. He was also the biggest plagiarist ever including his so call I had a dream speach.
All of you that are white and complaining about the actions of black people and yet you overlook much. Most of the violence by black people is against other black people. Also, mass murderers are mostly white males. Black murder over money, drugs and love. Whites murder for the hell of it. George Madoff robbed people of millions. Likely he robbed more than all the black men have robbed in the last 20 years and he was a white male.
Harry McD*ckless -- Wow, you REALly pulled that out of your a*s. And you try and JUSTIFY black violence saying it's "for a cause". Not only is that one of the most ignorant points of view I've ever heard, but you're completely wrong. Ignorant darkies kill and rob for no reason but "tha' hell of it" ALL.THE.TIME, dumba*s. Not ONLY do you need to look at actual FBI and local police statistics (especially in urban areas/major cities in the U.S.) to see the atrocities of black on white (more than white on black) as far as murders, rapes, and robberies but the overwhelming number of BLACK serial killers in the past few decades which make Jeff Dahmer look like a choirgirl. And you think this sack of sh*t in who infiltrated the WHITE House is not robbing ALL of us, Caucasian, Negro, and Asian BLIND of millions with his and his family's high-dollar, "hit-the-lottery", mooch-a*s attitude and habits? Damn, know you don't wanna scar the image of the black race any more than the horrors it does for itself so easily on a daily basis; but, check out these FACTS and put your foot in your mouth again:
List of black serial killers:
John Allen Muhammad and Lee Malvo 10 people in DC/MD/VA area and suspected to be linked to over 10 more across the nation
Howard Arthur Allen. Indianapolis. 3 or more victims.
Terry A. Blair. Kansas City area. 8 victims. 2003-4.
Arthur Bomar. Philadelphia and Nevada. 4 or 5 victims.
Daniel Andrew Bowler. Richmond, Virginia. 3 victims.
Eugene Britt. Gary, Indiana. 10 or more victims.
Maurice Byrd. St. Louis area. 20 victims.
John and Reginald Carr killed 5 whites in Wichita in December, 2000 (Wichita Horror or Massacre).
Jarvis Catoe. New York City. 13 victims. 1941-42 and killed at least 10 in Washington DC 1943.
Leonard Christopher. Philadelpha. 7 victims. 1980s.
Andre Crawford. Southside Chicago. 10 victims.
Paul Durousseau. Jacksonvile, Florida; Georgia. 6 victims, two of which were pregnant women.
Lorenzo Fayne. East St. Louis, Illinois. 5 victims, all children.
Kendall Francois. Poughkeepsie, New York and environs. 8 victims, all women.
Lorenzo J. Gilyard. Kansas City, Missouri. 12 victims, all women.(May be Missouri's worst serial killer ever, according to the Kansas City Star.)
Mark Goudeau. Valley of the Sun, Arizona. "Baseline Killer." 9 kills, along with 15 sexual assaults and 11 kidnappings during his year-long spree.
Kevin and Reginald Haley. Los Angeles. 8 victims. 1979-84.
Ray Dandridge and Ricky Gray murdered 7 in 2 separate robberies in Jan. 2006.
Edward George McGregor suspected killer of 3, is charged in 2006 with the murder and rape of white girl 16 years before.
Dellmus Colevin murdered 5 prostitutes over a five year period 2001-2005.
Derrick Todd Lee killed 5 white women in Louisiana 2002-03.
Maury Travis killed and tortured at least 12, possibly 17, in his St. Louis, MO basement from the 90′s to 2002. He even videotaped some of the crimes and later hung himself in jail.
Benjamin Thomas Atkins 12/91 –8/92, Atkins raped and strangled 11 hookers and left their bodies in abandoned buildings in Highland Park Michigan.
Cleophus Prince killed 6 white women in San Diego, 1990.
George Russell killed 3 white women in Belleville,WA summer 1990.
Harrison Marty Graham, killed up to 7, maybe more, in Philadelphia in 1985 to 1987. He slept in the same room as the rotting bodies and was every bit as twisted as Jeffrey Dahmer.
Nathaniel Code killed 8 Blacks in New Orleans between 1984-87.
Timothy Spencer targeted white women for rape and, on occasion, murder. Killed at least 4 between 1983-87.
Alton Coleman killed at least 7 in a killing spree across the Midwest between May-July 1984.
Brandon Tholmer killed possibly up to 34 women in LA between 1981-84.
Vaughn Greenwood – the “Skid Row Slasher” of Los Angeles in early 80’s killed AT LEAST 12.
“Yahweh Ben Yahweh” (Hulon Mitchell, Jr.) his cult killed around two dozen people, including 8 whites, with some being beheaded, in 1980′s Miami, Florida area.
Coral Eugene Watts killed at least 35 women between 1969-1982 in Michigan and Texas. Finally up for execution, but you’ll hear little about it in the mainstream media. No documentaries or “retrospectives.”
Gerald Parker – the “Bedroom Basher” killed at least 5 in LA 1978/79. Caught in 1996.
Carlton Gary the “Stocking Strangler” killed 7 women in Georgia, 1977.
Mark Essex killed 10 in New Orleans between Dec. 31, 1972 and Jan. 7, 1973.
The “Hi-Fi” Killers, William Andrews and Dale Selby Pierre of Salt Lake City raped and murdered 3 whites and severely maimed 2 others by making them drink Drano in 1974.
Jake Bird killed at least 11 (including offing two in the Tacoma area in the 1940s), possibly as many as 50 in 1943, New Orleans.
Monk Gibson and Felix Powell murdered the white Conditt family of 5 while they slept in Edna, Texas, 1905.
Robert Charles killed 7 white cops in 1900, New Orleans.
Today has been so black. Why? Why immortalize this man. Is this guy and Obama all the black can give to our country? The Blacks all seem to feel that America owes them something. Let me tell you America owes black people nothing. They have to build a life us whities can't. I think they can do better. I challenge all you blacks out there to better these two men!
The blacks shouldn't fear the whites.....they should fear the latinos since half of this country will be latino by 2050.
Good luck...