The POWER of Legacy, Leadership, Love

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 “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

Early in the history of the civilized world, memorials were erected to leaders of battles, philosophers, pharaohs, kings, presidents, and deities. 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 insurrectionists, are being renamed. Memorials to historical figures such as Thomas Jefferson, Francis T. Nichols, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, Christopher Columbus, and others memorialized in bronze and stone, 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., continues to grow.

 Dr. King was a minister from the South,a  Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and the recipient of 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. Dr. King 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 led to a bus boycott which lasted more than a 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 40 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, Richard C. “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. 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 1957-1968. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

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. Countries with memorials and monuments to Dr. King outside of the U.S. include Argentina, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, India, Israel, Madagascar, Mexico, Nigeria, Sweden, and South Africa.

Other awards, memorials, and monuments received by Dr. King include the 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; and the Grammy Hall of Fame Award. Many of the accolades were received posthumously. 

It has been more than half of a century since the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, yet the message from his renowned “I Have a Dream” speech is still both relevant and impactful. Dr. King asserted the importance of economic sustainability; the horrors of police brutality; and the importance of voting – same challenges, different faces. A man among men, memorials to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be present for decades to come.

LeBan, L.A. (2023). Memorials to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Southern Christian Leadership Conference National Magazine/Spring 2023 Issue, p24-26.