Main Plaza of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial at Sunset

NPS Antoine Thomas

Quick Facts

Location:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Designation:

National Park

Amenities

1 listed

Wheelchair Accessible

In 1955, many people were faced with a lack of opportunities. Unlike visitors to the memorial, they weren’t looking for opportunities to see a sculpture or quotes. They were looking for opportunities such as:  

- getting a job 
- being able to vote 
- getting an education 
- being able to sit on a bus in a seat of their own choosing 

In 1955, the Stone of Hope would have been part of the Mountain of Despair, symbolic of the wall of oppression preventing certain segments of the population from having the same access to opportunities that others had. 

Many of the people being treated unfairly committed to proactively challenging the societal obstacles preventing them from attaining fairer social and economic equality. Martin Luther King, Jr. became the leader they needed. Over time, their efforts created an opening to better opportunities. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 are two examples of achievements attained.