Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park
This park honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. was inspired by Dr. King’s last speech entitled “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” He delivered the speech in Memphis, Tennessee the night before he was assassinated. He was there in support of striking sanitation workers. Dr. King’s legacy embodied in this memorial will give everyone regardless of racial or ethnic background an opportunity to remember him personally and to reflect on his teachings. Our children and their children will always be reminded of the need to eliminate poverty and racism.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Committee has dedicated this memorial park to the slain civil rights leader so that Dr. King’s dream for us all will never die. Through this effort, it is the hope to bring together the communities of the greater Puget Sound area, the State of Washington, and the nation in a tribute to this great American who lived in a manner to benefit each of us.
Nationally known Seattle sculptor Robert W. Kelly was commissioned to create a structure that would be the centerpiece of the memorial. Kelly conceived the idea of a symbolic mountain, difficult and perilous to climb, yet interspersed with plateaus of rest and reflection.
The shape of the memorial was inspired by African sculptural form. Three elements create a vertical assent symbolizing the union of the family and the Trinity. The black granite used is from Zimbabwe, in southern Africa. Stainless steel banding provides strength and inextricable bonding of the three contiguous elements. Falling water emanating from the top of the structure provides visual and auditory emphasis of the life force which flows from Dr. King’s vision.
Robert Kelly died in an accident in April 1989. His vision for the project has become a reality, thanks to the devotion to its completion by the committee. Bob’s dedication as an educator and sculptor and his passion for life inspired others. May his commemoration of Dr. King’s life encourage each of us to achieve Dr. King’s dream of eliminating war, racism and poverty and achieving justice for all people.
Dedicated November 18, 1991.
Marker can be reached from Martin Luther King, Jr. Way S. south of S. Walker Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
