Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great man who worked for racial equality and civil rights in the United States of America. He was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. Martin had a brother, Alfred, and a sister, Christine. Both his father and grandfather were ministers. His mother was a schoolteacher who taught him how to read before he went to school. Young Martin was an excellent student in school; he skipped grades in both elementary school and high school. He enjoyed reading books, singing, riding a bicycle, and playing football and baseball. Martin entered Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, when he was only 15 years old. Martin experienced racism early in life. He decided to do to something to make the world a better and fairer place. After graduating from college and getting married, Dr. King became a minister and moved to Alabama. During the 1950′s, Dr. King became active in the movement for civil rights and racial equality. He participated in the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott and many other peaceful demonstrations that protested the unfair treatment of African-Americans. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. We want to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by leading a collaborative funding, design, and construction process in the creation of a memorial to honor his national and international contributions to world peace through non-violent social change. The vision of a memorial in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. is one that captures the essence of his message, a message in which he so eloquently affirms the commanding tenants of the American Dream — Freedom, Democracy and Opportunity for All; a noble quest that gained him the Nobel Peace Prize and one that continues to influence people and societies throughout the world. Upon reflection, we are reminded that Dr. King's lifelong dedication to the idea of achieving human dignity through global relationships of well being has served to instill a broader and deeper sense of duty within each of us — a duty to be both responsible citizens and conscientious stewards of freedom and democracy. Dr. King championed a movement that draws fully from the deep well of America's potential for freedom, opportunity, and justice. His vision of America is captured in his message of hope and possibility for a future anchored in dignity, sensitivity, and mutual respect; a message that challenges each of us to recognize that America's true strength lies in its diversity of talents. The vision of a memorial in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. is one that captures the essence of his message, a message in which he so eloquently affirms the commanding tenants of the American Dream — Freedom, Democracy and Opportunity for All; a noble quest that gained him the Nobel Peace Prize and one that continues to influence people and societies throughout the world. Upon reflection, we are reminded that Dr. King's lifelong dedication to the idea of achieving human dignity through global relationships of well being has served to instill a broader and deeper sense of duty within each of us— a duty to be both responsible citizens and conscientious stewards of freedom and democracy. The life-long struggle of Dr. King resulted in the historic civil rights laws of 1965. The enforcement of these laws enriched American life for all Americans. Today, in the United States, African Americans play a leading role in government, business, music, sports and the military. To honor Dr. King, the world must follow the American example of peaceful societal change liberating oppressed minorities from the powerful hand of the oppressors. In Egypt, the Christian Coptic people are an oppressed African minority who are forced to live under Islamic law as second class citizen in their own country. In direct contradiction to Dr. King’s teaching, Islamic laws dictate that no non-Moslem can be appointed or elected in position of authority over a Muslim (Surah El-Maeeda). This intrinsic supremacy of Islam and Muslims over other religions and their followers is against everything taught by Rev. King. BM
