Breaking Ground
On this date in 2006, the ceremonial groundbreaking for the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C., took place.
Now located on the National Mall (Independence Avenue and West Basin Drive), it was planned by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to be constructed as a permanent testament to African American civil rights leader and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity member Martin Luther King, Jr. The memorial will have three underlying themes: justice, democracy, and hope highlighted by the use of water, stone, and trees throughout the memorial.
Dr. King will be the first Black honored with his memorial in the National Mall area and the third non-president to be commemorated in such a fashion. The National Park Service will administer the King Memorial.
