Memorials to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Levon A. LeBan , SCLC New Orleans Chapter President

“Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.” Romans 13:7 KJV

As we reflect on the sixty-six years since the founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the fiftyfifth year of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we fear that his legacy will be forgotten or worse, erased. Early in the history of the civilized world, memorials have been erected to leaders of great battles, philosophers, pharaohs, gods, and kings. The Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and others have erected temples, statues, and cities to honor the contributions of their leaders. Today, in the U.S., hundreds of monuments are being dismantled and removed while streets named for former slave owners and insurrectionist, are being renamed. Monuments to leaders like Confederate leaders such as Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Christopher Columbus, and others that were memorialized, are being reimagined. However, the number of monuments, memorials, and tributes to civil rights leader and founding President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., continue to grow.

Dr. King was a minister from the South; Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the recipient numerous honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities around the world, he is recognized as one of the most prolific civil rights leaders in history. He gained national acclaim as an advocate for Rosa Louise McCauley Parks, following her arrest for refusing to relinquish her seat on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Those actions lead to a boycott which lasted more than year. His international recognition accelerated following the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Dr. King’s speech, later known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, catapulted him as a drum major for justice and peace. His actions lead to the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Although his name and image can be found on monuments around the world, there’s one place that Dr. King’s name appears more often in the United States – that is, on city streets. In fact, there are nearly 1000 streets spanning over forty states named in honor of Dr. King. According to The Tampa Times [Thursday, April 11, 1968], one of the first cities to name a street in tribute to Dr. King was Tampa, Florida. By an act of the City Council, approximately one week following the assassination of Dr. King, the Council voted unanimously to honor Dr. King by renaming a portion of Main Street to Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard. The Netherlands became the first area outside the U.S. to name a street after Dr. King.

Federal Holiday Observance

In January 1981 and 1982, marches and demonstrations were held in Washington, D.C., demanding federal recognition of the life of Dr. King. The marches were led by SCLC First Lady Coretta Scott King, Dick Gregory, Stevland H. “Stevie Wonder” Morris, members of the SCLC, the Congressional Black Caucus, and others. A petition was presented to Congress with several million signatures and in 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation honoring Dr. King, as an official federal holiday. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day marked the first time in the history of the U.S. that a federal holiday was named in honor of an American of African descent. Dr. King advocated the use of nonviolent means to end racial segregation and was the most influential Civil Rights leader in America from 19571968.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Memorials and monuments to Dr. King outside of the U.S. include the following countries: Argentina, Denmark, England, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, India, Israel, Madagascar, Mexico, Nigeria, Sweden, and South Africa. In 1996, Congress authorized the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to establish a memorial to Dr. King in Washington, D.C. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation held a design competition and identified the Tidal Basin site for the memorial’s location. Located in West Potomac Park at 1964 Independence Avenue, S.W., referencing the year the Civil Rights Act Of 1964 became law. The memorial’s official dedication date was August 28, 2011, the 48th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, though the ceremony was postponed until October 16, 2011.

Other awards, memorials, and monuments received by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. include:

The Nobel Peace

Congressional Gold Medal Civil Rights Act

Commemorative Silver Dollar

Who's Who in America

Among Time's most outstanding personalities of the year

Spingarn Medal from NAACP

Named Man of the Year by Time

United Federation of Teachers

John Dewey Award

Catholic Interracial Council of Chicago

John F. Kennedy Award

Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding

Jamaican Government, Marcus Garvey Prize for Human Rights;

Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word

Album “Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam;” Presidential Medal of Freedom

Grammy Hall of Fame Award.

Many of the accolades were received posthumously.

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Robert Byrd Attorney at Law

We Join the SCLC in Honoring the Memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. May His Dream Become a Reality for All People.

By Choice, We Fully Support Equal Opportunity for All People, Regardless of Race, Creed, Sex, Age, Sexual Orientation, Disability or Ethnic Background.