History of the Memorial

January 15, 1929	Martin Luther King, Jr. (originally named Michael King) is born in Atlanta, GA.
February 25, 1948	King is ordained and is appointed associate pastor to his father, the pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
June 8, 1948	King graduates from Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.
May 6-8, 1951	King graduates Crozer Theological Seminary with a Bachelor of Divinity degree.
June 22, 1952	While attending graduate school at Boston University, King is initiated into the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
June 18, 1953	King marries Miss Coretta Scott.
May 17, 1954	The United States Supreme Court rules unanimously that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional in Brown vs. the Board of Education, stating that “separate can never be equal.”
October 31, 1954	King is installed as the twentieth pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL.
June 5, 1955	King receives his Ph.D. degree in Systematic Theology from Boston University.
December 5, 1955	Dr. King is elected President of the Montgomery Improvement Association, the group formed to coordinate the bus boycott.
December 20, 1955	Buses in Montgomery are integrated after federal injunctions are issued against many city and bus company officials. In the months before integration of buses occurs, the United States Supreme Court upholds an earlier ruling that declares mandatory bus segregation laws unconstitutional.
February 14, 1957	The Southern Christian Leadership Conference ("SCLC") is formed ; Dr. King is named its first president.
February –March 1959	Dr. and Mrs. King spend a month in India as guests of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, studying Mohandas K. Gandhi’s techniques of nonviolent resistance.
March – April, 1962	Dr. King is arrested during a demonstration in Birmingham. On April 16, he writes his famous “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” in which he describes the motivation and defends the need for nonviolent, direct action.
October 1, 1962	James Meredith becomes the first black man to enter the University of Mississippi. He is enrolled by order of the Supreme Court and escorted onto campus by U.S. Marshals.
October 16, 1962	Dr. King meets with President John F. Kennedy at the White House, urging him to support civil rights.
May 3-5, 1963	At a protest in Birmingham, young demonstrators are attacked with dogs and assaulted with water from fire hoses by order of Eugene “Bull” Connor, Director of Public Safety. Media coverage of the event provokes a national outcry against the tactics employed by segregationist leaders.
June 11, 1963	Governor George C. Wallace attempts to stop integration of the University of Alabama by preventing black students and Justice Department officials from entering. Governor Wallace removes himself from blocking the entrance after President Kennedy federalizes the Alabama National Guard.
August 28, 1963	At the historic March on Washington, the first large integrated protest march, Dr. King delivers his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the Mall in Washington, DC.
September 15, 1963	The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama is bombed, killing four young girls and injuring many worshippers. Dr. King delivers a eulogy for the girls.
Summer 1964	The Mississippi “Freedom Summer” Project, a voter registration drive, is organized and instituted by Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee (SNCC), with the aid of the SCLC.
July 2, 1964	Dr. King attends the signing of the Public Accommodations Bill, a part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
August 25, 1964	Dr. King speaks at the Democratic National Convention, where the Democratic Party refused to seat members of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
December 10, 1964	Dr. King accepts the Nobel Prize for Peace in Oslo, Norway.
February 9, 1965	Dr. King meets with President Johnson and other leaders to discuss voting rights for African-Americans.
March 21-25, 1965	More than three thousand march from Selma to Montgomery under the protection of federal troops. Along the way, their numbers increased to twenty-five thousand. The march ends in Montgomery, where Dr. King gives an address from the steps of the state capitol.
Summer 1965	Riots break out in Watts, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California.
August 6, 1965	President Johnson signs the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Spring 1966	To rally support for the election of black candidates, King makes a “People to People” tour of the South.
May 16, 1966	Dr. King makes an anti-war statement at a Vietnam War protest in Washington, DC.
June 8-24, 1966	Dr. King, many civil rights leaders and supporters continue James Meredith’s “March Against Fear” after Meredith is shot.
Summer 1967	Riots occur in 164 U.S. cities. The largest riots break out in Newark, New Jersey and Detroit, Michigan calling attention to the struggles faced by African Americans in Northern cities.
December 1967-1968	The SCLC forms and organizes the Poor People’s Campaign, a movement intended to alleviate poverty for Americans of all races and ethnicities.
April 4, 1968	Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
April 7-9, 1968	April 7, 1968, declared a day of mourning, is marked by memorial events and religious services across the country. A silent march is held in Memphis, and on April 9, a funeral service at Ebenezer Baptist Church and a funeral procession take place in Atlanta.
November 2, 1983	The Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday bill, a measure proposed in every legislative session from 1968 by Rep. John Conyers is signed by President Ronald Reagan, declaring King’s birthday a national holiday. However, the first legal holiday nationwide does not occur until January 20, 1986.
January 1984	George Sealey is catalyst for convening Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity brothers Alfred Bailey, Oscar Little, Eddie Madison, and John Harvey, to propose building a national memorial to Dr. King. Their proposal is presented at the Fraternity’s Board of Director’s meeting, under the administration of General President Ozell Sutton.
November 12, 1996	President Clinton signs Congressional legislation proposing the establishment of a Memorial in the District of Columbia to honor Dr. King.
January 10, 1998	National Capital Memorial Commission votes to recommend Area 1.
February 27, 1998	Washington Post article is published: “King Memorial Takes a Step – Senate Bill Would Secure Prominent Site to Honor Slain Leader.” Joint Resolution 41 is introduced before the Senate by Senators Sarbanes (MD) and Warner (VA). Senator Landrieu (LA) was added as a co-sponsor.
March 4, 1998	Joint Resolution 113 introduced before the House of Representatives by Congressional members Morella (MD), Dixon (CA), and Cummings (MD) seeking Area 1 authorization.
March 5, 1998	Senator Cleland (GA) was added as a co-sponsor seeking Area 1 authorization.
March 7, 1998	Coretta Scott King agrees to serve as chairperson of the project’s Honorary Committee/ELC.
March 24, 1998	John Carter testifies before Senate subcommittee which oversees memorials in Washington, DC. Excerpt: “We now have an opportunity to break the trend of memorials to war and erect a monument which delivers a message of lifelong peace in our land. A memorial which embodies not just the image of Dr. King, but the image of America, which is often called the melting pot of the world.”
May 28, 1998	Charter for the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. approved.
June 22, 1998	House Joint Resolution 113 passed by the United States House of Representatives, giving the project Area 1 status.
June 25, 1998	Senate Joint Resolution 41 was passed by the United States Senate, giving the project Area 1 status.
October 1, 1998	National Capital Memorial Commission approved Area 1 – Constitutional Gardens.
January 15, 1999	BellSouth Corporation sponsored official MLK Memorial Web site https://mlkmemorial.org/index.html.
February 15, 1999	A poster announcing the design competition is prepared and distributed internationally to all schools of architecture, professional community of architecture, designers and artists.
March 4, 1999	The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) votes 6-5 in favor of approving the east end of Constitution Gardens as the site for the Memorial, against our recommendation and against the recommendation of their staff. At issue for the five members voting against the motion is an interest to give the Foundation an opportunity to prepare more analysis. However, it is important to note that not all members who spoke voiced their preference for the Constitution Gardens site.
April 8, 1999	The Project Team appears before the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA). Recommendation of the Tidal Basin site reviewed and the decision of the NCPC is shared with CFA. The CFA votes unanimously to reject the Constitution Gardens site as an area of consideration. Instead, they gave the Foundation a recommendation to study two additional sites, one on the west end of Constitution Gardens and another on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
October 7, 1999	Chairman Gantt asks the Commission to approve the Tidal Basin site. He also appoints Robert Gaines to chair a special task force of NCPC commissioners and Foundation members.
December 2, 1999	The NCPC votes unanimously to rescind its March 4, 1999, action approving the east end of Constitution Gardens and approves a four-acre site adjacent to the Tidal Basin along with the design parameters, as indicated in the October 21, 1999 agreement.
December 2, 1999	A design specifications package is completed and is ready for mailing to individuals registered for the design competition.
December 2, 1999	A panel of competition assessors is named. These individuals are from the professions of architecture, landscape architecture and fine arts. - Dr. Ed Jackson, Jr., Jury Chair, American Institute of Architects, Professional Practice Division, Washington, DC - Prof. James Chaffers, ArchD., AIA, University of Michigan, School of Architecture, Ann Arbor, MI - Charles Correa, Hon. FAIA, Bombay, India - Prof. Randalf Hester, Jr., ASLA, University of California, Landscape Architecture, Berkeley, CA - William Lawson, FAIA, General Services Administration, Washington, DC - Prof. Jon Lockard, Artist, University of Michigan, School of Art and Design, Ann Arbor, MI - Karen Phillips, FASLA, Abyssinian Development Corporation, New York, NY - Prof. LaVerne Wells-Bowie, Florida A&M University, School of Architecture, Tallahassee, FL - Ricardo Legorreta, Hon. FAIA, Mexico City, Mexico - Prof. Wu Liangyong, Hon. FAIA, Tsinghua University, School of Architecture, Beijing, China - Dr. Suha Ozkan, Ankara Turkey: Secretary General, The Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Geneva, Switzerland
December 3, 1999	The site approval receives positive national media coverage, including CNN, NBC, ABC, COX, CBS and NPR. Over 78 articles are published in major newspapers, including the front page of the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and the Atlanta Journal and Constitution.
September 12, 2000	The entry submitted by ROMA Design Group of San Francisco, California was selected as the winning design.
March 2001	The Foundation launched the quiet phase of the fundraising campaign. General Motors was the first major sponsor.
April 18, 2002	The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) voted in favor of the Proposed design for the Memorial.
July 2002	Morgan Freeman donated his time to create a series of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to raise awareness for the Memorial. In addition, Morgan Freeman voluntarily spoke to the media about the Memorial, including participation in an on-line discussion on Washingtonpost.com
November 2002	Under the auspices of the National Parks Service (NPS), the Foundation initiated the Environmental Assessment of the proposed site.
January 7, 2003	A public scoping meeting was convened to solicit comments and concerns about the proposed Memorial program.
May 7, 2003	Senate Majority Leader Frist hosted the launch of the national media campaign developed by the Ad Council in collaboration with the advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi. The PSAs feature Halle Berry and Al Roker.
August 28, 2003	Fortieth anniversary of historic March on Washington. Yahoo! puts Memorial on their home-page to help increase awareness for the Memorial and help drive donations to the Project.
October 28, 2003	Foundation granted Congressional extension to raise additional funds needed for ground-breaking of Memorial.
January 2004	Foundation launched Faith-based initiative
February 2004	Press briefing held to announce Devrouax and Purnell/ROMA Design Group Joint Ventures as Architects of Record
June 2004	Procter and Gamble partnership established
July 2004	Tommy Hilfiger Corporation extends loan-executive to support Foundation staff
July 2004	Ed Dwight contracted to sculpt Stone of Hope donor gifts
September 2004	American Urban Radio Network partnership established.
September 2004	Tavis Smiley produced radio PSA.
October 2004	Morgan Freeman, Samaire Armstrong, and Bishop McClendon produced individual television PSAs.
November 2004	Tommy Hilfiger Corporation produces ELC fundraising video.
January 31, 2005	Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation Announces $5 Million Fundraising Goal for Black History Month; Adds Aggressive Public Phase to "Build the Dream" Campaign.
March 29, 2005	Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation and NCAA partner together: Model of MLK Memorial to be displayed at NCAA Hall of Champions.
April 1, 2005	Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Launches Faith-Based Initiative on Anniversary of King Assassination; Michigan Faith-Based Community to Raise $1 Million to Help Build Memorial.
June 10, 2005	Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation Hosts Celebrity Golf Tournament to Benefit Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial; $1 Million Contribution to Help Build Major Memorial on National Mall.
June 28, 2005	Momentum Builds as U.S. Senate Votes to Provide $10 Million towards Building of Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on National Mall
August 22, 2005	"Kids for King" Program Launches to Commemorate 1963 March on Washington and ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech.
September 23, 2005	Toyota makes special announcement about the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.
November 19, 2005	San Francisco Dream Dinner Nets $2.5 Million to Memorial Project.
December 1, 2005	National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) Unanimously Approves Preliminary Design for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.
January 30, 2006	Memorial Foundation mourned the passing of Executive Leadership Cabinet Co-Chair, Coretta Scott King.
January 17, 2006	Memorial Foundation launched the Dream Keepers College Program to engage college students across the country in efforts to build a Memorial in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. The program contributed over $45,000 towards Dr. King’s Memorial. R&B recording artist Chris Brown endorsed the Memorial Project by wearing the Dream Keepers t-shirt on his website.
January, 2006	Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity set 2006 fundraising goal of $300,000 towards the Memorial Project, once again exceeding their goal by 140% by contributing $421,381 dollars.
February, 2006	Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation awards grant of $25,000 to Foundation.
February 28, 2006	The Los Angeles Dream Dinner raises 3.1 million dollars for the Memorial Foundation. Disney President and CEO Bob Iger chaired the event that is held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Walt Disney Company Foundation donates 2.75 million dollars and underwrote the evening’s gala.
February, 2006	$10 million Congressional match achieved with the announcement of The Walt Disney Company Foundation donation. Senators Byrd and Cochran were the driving force behind the match.
March, 2006	Memorial Foundation partners with “Charity Folks” for an on-line fundraising auction featuring one-of-a-kind items from celebrities including Morgan Freeman, Usher, Ben Affleck, and Laurence Fishburne. The auction ended on March 31st and raised $68,000 for the Memorial Project.
March, 2006	During March 16th Commission of Fine Arts hearing the Memorial Foundation receives preliminary approval from the National Park Service to add a Visitor’s Information Center at the Memorial site which will include a Donor’s Wall to recognize our high level donors who contribute one millions dollars cash to the Memorial Project.
March, 2006	Memorial Foundation begins the purchase of long-lead items such as the selection and tagging of oak trees for the Memorial site.
April, 2006	Foundation appears before the National Capital Planning Commission on April 6th and receives praise for the beauty and grandeur of the winning design, particularly the relationship between the Mountain of Despair and the Stone of Hope. The NCPC unanimously agrees to grant the Foundation approval to proceed with the final design phase of the project.
April, 2006	State Farm Insurance donates one million dollars to the Memorial Foundation.
May, 2006	PepsiCo Foundation donates one million dollars to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.
May, 2006	Burton D. Morgan Foundation awards $50,000 grant to support Memorial Project.
May, 2006	BET commits $250,000 multi-year gift to Dr. King’s Memorial.
June, 2006	The South African government presents $100,000 check to the Memorial Foundation.
June, 2006	Faith-based direct-mail initiative launched. During 2006, the faith-based direct mail initiative and other campaigns contributed $296,000 to the Memorial Project.
July, 2006	Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity re-dedicates future site of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial on anniversary of Fraternity’s Centennial Celebration.
July, 2006	ExxonMobil Foundation commemorates the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a one million dollar contribution to the National Memorial Project.
August 7, 2006	The U.S. Department of the Interior certified the documentation of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation’s ten million dollar appropriation.
August, 2006	GE announces donation of one million dollars on August 28th as the Memorial Foundation commemorate the 43rd Anniversary of the March on Washington.
August, 2006	Memorial Foundation marks anniversary of “I Have a Dream” speech by announcing 12 Kids for King National Essay Program participants to be flown to DC for the Ceremonial Groundbreaking. Kids for King National Essay Program is extended with announcement of 38 additional participants to be selected in October.
September, 2006	FedEx announces major gift of one million dollars to the Memorial Foundation.
October, 2006	38 additional Kids for King National Essay Program participants selected for a total of 50 to be flown to the November 13th Ceremonial Groundbreaking of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. The travel and hotel accommodations for each of these 50 participants and their chaperones (parents and/or guardian) were provided through the generosity of our corporate sponsors, Continental Airlines and J.W. Marriott, Jr.
October, 2006	Memorial Foundation Design Team visits China, touring granite quarries and fabrication sites.
November 13, 2006	Thousands attend the Ceremonial Groundbreaking on the National Mall co-hosted by Tavis Smiley and Soledad O’Brien. Those in attendance include Presidents Bush and Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Senator Barack Obama, Diane Sawyer, Dr. King’s children - Yolanda, Martin III and Bernice, Members of the President’s Cabinet, Members of Congress, Greek-letter organization leaders and members, various civil rights icons, spiritual leaders, corporate sponsors, families and friends celebrate the historic event. Kathleen Battle sang the National Anthem while entertainment was provided by BeBe Winans, Naomi and Wynonna Judd, Byron Cage and The Ebenezer AME Church Choir.
November 13, 2006	National Dream Dinner Gala is held at the Kennedy Center the evening of the Ceremonial Groundbreaking. Hosted by Nick Cannon, hundreds of supporters, corporate sponsors, family and friends were entertained by Gladys Knight and Michael Bolton. The event raised 7.2 million dollars gross and netted 5.2 million dollars for the Memorial Foundation.
November, 2006	Dallas Faith-based initiative contributes over $135,000 to the Memorial Project.
December, 2006	GE donates additional “end-of-the-year” gift of $200,000 to Memorial Foundation.
December, 2006	Council of Historians recommends Dr. King’s words for the Memorial.
January 5, 2007	Executives, supporters and sponsors of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial rang the NYSE Opening Bell to kick off the inaugural year of construction of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.
January 14, 2007	CIGNA, Shell Oil Company, and the Verizon Foundation will each announce a $1 million contribution tomorrow to help build a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. on the National Mall. The $3 million in new contributions will increase the Memorial’s fund-raising total to $76 million with a needed $120 million to complete the project.
January 15, 2007	Sony Pictures today announced the company will donate 2.5% (approximately $650,000) of the opening weekend box office receipts of STOMP THE YARD to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation.
February 15, 2007	The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. is proud to announce the selected quotations from Dr. King's writing, sermons and speeches to be engraved onto the Memorial Wall. The Foundation will also announce the sculptor who will carve the image of Dr. King into the Stone of Hope.
January 15, 2007	The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation announced today the selected quotations from Dr. King’s writing, sermons and speeches that will be permanently engraved into memorial walls. In addition, the Memorial Foundation announced Master Lei Yixin as the Sculptor of Record who will carve the image of Dr. King into the ‘Stone of Hope’, the centerpiece of the Memorial. - Memorial Foundation’s “Council of Historians” selected quotations that best reflect King’s ideals of hope, democracy, and love, the three main themes of the memorial.

February 20, 2007	TV One and the Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation announced today that TV One has signed as an official media partner of the initiative to build a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. on the National Mall. As a media partner to the Memorial Project Foundation, TV One will help build awareness of the planned memorial and raise donations from consumers interested in supporting it.
February 27, 2007	The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced today that the National Association of Realtors (NAR) will donate $1 million to help build the King memorial on the National Mall. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Congressman James E. Clyburn, and Congressman John Lewis participated in the afternoon ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.
April 26, 2007	In Memoriam - Jack Valenti On behalf of the Executive Leadership Cabinet (ELC), Board of Directors and staff of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc we express our deepest sympathy on the death of our friend and ELC member, Jack Valenti. He was a tremendous supporter of the Memorial Project and will truly be missed.

May 7, 2007	The Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project moved another step closer to the needed $120 million for its completion as a result of a $1 million contribution by Prudential Financial, Inc.
May 15, 2007	The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced today that Tommy Hilfiger, Russell Simmons, Quincy Jones, Joel Horowitz, David Stern and Edgar Bronfman, Jr. will spearhead a one-night only concert to benefit the building of Dr. King’s Memorial on the National Mall. The Dream Concert will be an historic gathering of all-star musicians to be announced in the near future.
May 15, 2007	In Memoriam - Yolanda King On behalf of the Executive Leadership Cabinet (ELC), Board of Directors and staff of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc., we mourn the loss of Yolanda King who fought for racial harmony.
May 24, 2007	The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced today it will host a June 27 Houston Dream Dinner to help raise the remaining funds to build the memorial on the National Mall. Dinner Co-Chairs include boxing legend George Foreman, Shell Oil Co. President John Hofmeister, Continental Airlines Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner, and BP America, Inc. CEO Robert A. Malone, Jeff Moseley, President and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, is also playing a major role in helping organize the dinner.
June 5, 2007	The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced today that the McKissack & McKissack / Turner Construction Company / Gilford Corporation / Tompkins Builders, Inc. Joint Venture will serve as the Design-Build team for the memorial.
June 20, 2007	The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced today that Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Carlos Santana, Robin Thicke, Bebe Winans, Cece Winans and Jessye Norman are the first performers to join the all-star line up for The Dream Concert to benefit the building of the Memorial on the National Mall. The Foundation also announced Al Roker as a special guest presenter and Ben Affleck, Shaquille O’Neal and LaDanian Tomlinson have agreed to join the Concert’s Host Committee. The Dream Concert will be held at Radio City Music Hall on September 18, 2007, with tickets available to the general public this summer. Go to http://www.thedreamconcert.com for more information.
June 23, 2007	The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced today that Garth Brooks, Joss Stone, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, and Queen Latifah have joined the all-star line up for The Dream Concert to benefit the building of the Memorial on the National Mall. Tickets for The Dream Concert, which will be held at Radio City Music Hall on September 18, 2007 at 8 p.m. ,go on sale to the public on Monday, July 30th at 9:00 a.m.
June 23, 2007	Georgia Congressmen John Lewis and Hank Johnson joined Harry E. Johnson, President and CEO of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc., on a tour of Stone Mountain, GA on Sunday, July 22. They surveyed granite quarries to explore potential stone to be used for the four-acre King memorial which will be situated on the National Mall. Stone Mountain is the site symbolically referenced by Dr. King in his historic “I Have a Dream” speech.
January 15, 2008	A press conference was held by New York City Ministers announcing their joint back of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Co-conveners of the press conference, Reverends Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, Dr. Floyd H. Flake, Dr. James A. Forbes, and Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, joined forces as a Host Committee to publicly announce their support of the “Build the Dream” campaign, with each making a personal pledge of $10,000 toward the $500,000.00 goal to be accomplished by NYC ministers and houses of worships.
January 18, 2008	The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. today launches The "Build the Dream Blog" to blog on going efforts to "Build The Dream," as well as news and events related to those efforts - and, of course, to Dr. King.
January 21, 2008	Harry E. Johnson, Sr., President and CEO of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, was joined by President George W. Bush to commemorate the King Holiday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC.
January 21, 2008	"Dream Keepers" College Program, an initiative to engage college students across the country in efforts to build a memorial in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. on the prestigious National Mall in Washington, DC. is re-launched.
January 30, 2008	The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) announced a $3 million donation to the Washington, DC, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc in honor of Black History Month. The WKKF gift signifies the largest private foundation contribution for the Memorial. Martin Luther King, III, Harry E. Johnson, Sr., President and CEO of the Memorial Foundation, and Sterling Speirn, President of the WKKF, announced the donation in an audio call with reporters.
February 11, 2008	The CW11/WPIX, Tribune Broadcasting's New York CW affiliate announced it will honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with an original special “Justice, Equality & Hope: Legacy of Martin Luther King” on Saturday, February 23 at 10:30pm and April 4 at 10:30pm. The program, hosted by CW11 Morning News’ Tiffany McElroy, profiles Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and takes a historical look at the confluence of events that helped shape the Civil Rights movement.
February 14, 2008	The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. today announced a $1 million donation by the Pfizer Foundation to help build the memorial. The check presentation took place at the Pfizer world-wide headquarters in New York where Harry E. Johnson, Sr, President and CEO of the Memorial Foundation joined several senior Pfizer executives for the announcement.
February 29, 2008	The African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) was honored in Washington, DC for spearheading a national fundraising effort among credit unions from across the country. The total donations from credit unions to the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc have reached $1.2 million.
April 4, 2008	The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. today relaunches www.April4.org to commemorate the assasination of Dr. King.
April 4, 2008	The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. today launches The March to Build the Dream" a "Friends Asking Friends" which brings friends and families together to form teams and help raise money to support the foundation.
June 5, 2008	The King Center to be Honored at Atlanta ‘Dream Dinner’ for Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Click here to read the press release.
June 12, 2008	The Coca-Cola Company, Nationwide Insurance, Delta Air Lines to Participate in June 19th Atlanta ‘Dream Dinner’ for Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Click here to read the press release.
June 20, 2008	Nationwide Foundation Donates $1 Million at the Atlanta Dream Dinner Lifting Funds to $94.8 Million. Click here to read the press release.
July 29, 2008	In Memoriam - Alfred C. Bailey. Statement by Harry E. Johnson, Sr. President and CEO Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. on the death of Alfred C. Bailey.
July 31, 2008	Celebrities, Athletes, Politicians Join Forces in Clear Channel Radio’s Radiothon for Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Click here to read press release.
August 12, 2008	Verizon Begins Phase 1 Site Preparation for Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial on Eve of March on Washington 45th Anniversary. Click here to read the press release.
September 18, 2008	Statement from Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation about U.S. Commission of Fine Arts Approval of Memorial Design. Click here to read the statement.
October 1, 2008	Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation Submits Request for Construction Permit to The National Park Service. Click here to read the press release.
November 14, 2008	Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Dream Campaign Heads to Miami. Click here here to read the press release.
November 19, 2008	President Bill Clinton to Headline Miami Dream Dinner for Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Click here to read the press release.
Novermber 20, 2008	$12.5 Million Letter of Credit from Wal-Mart Foundation to Expedite Construction of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Click here to read the press release.
November 25, 2008	Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation Leadership to Provide Briefing to Civil Rights Pioneers. Click here to read the press release.
December 4, 2008	Civil Rights Pioneers Visit Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Site and Vow to Support Memorial. Click here to read the press release.
December 8, 2008	Martin Luther King Jr. National Foundation Announces $1 Million Gift from UnitedHealth Group. . Click here to read the press release.
January 9, 2009	Former President Bill Clinton, Knight Foundation, and South Floridians Join In Miami To Build Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Click here to read the press release.
January 14, 2009	Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial to Host February 17 Chicago Dream Dinner. Boeing and Exelon Foundation to Co-Chair Event. Click here to read the press release.
January 17, 2009	Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation Announces $1.25 Million Gift from Travelers. Click here to read the press release.
January 19, 2009	Exelon Foundation Donates $1 Million To Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial On Dr. King's Holiday. Click here to read the press release.
February 5, 2009	Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Dream Campaign Heads To Chicago. Click here to read the press release.
February 19, 2009	Illinois Corporations, Foundations, Politicians Turn Out in Chicago Click here to read the press release.
March 17, 2009	Memorial Foundation Launches “Facebook” to Assist With Fundraising Efforts. Click here to read the press release.
April 2, 2009	Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Implements “Text Messaging” as an Effective Fundraising Tool. Click here to read the press release.
May 4, 2009	In Memorial - Jack Kemp We were all saddened to learn of the death of Mr. Jack Kemp on Saturday, May 2, 2009. As a member of both the Executive Leadership Cabinet (ELC) and Board of Directors of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King. Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation Inc., Mr. Kemp provided invaluable advice and counsel to the Memorial Foundation for over ten years. He was also a very vocal supporter of the need to build a national memorial to honor Dr. King -- someone he referenced on many occasions over the years when recounting his experiences during the infancy of the civil rights struggle. We will sincerely miss Mr. Kemp's wisdom and untiring support of our efforts and hope his family and friends will find comfort in the coming days, knowing he was a great American and a great friend to us all. Our condolences and deepest sympathies are extended to his family. Harry E. Johnson, Sr. President & CEO
August 12, 2009	U.S. Secretary Arne Duncan to speak at live press conference commemorating the 46th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. King’s famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Click here to read the press release.
September 23, 2009	NFL Players Association has pledged to raise and donate $1 million to the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. Click here to read this press release.
October 29, 2009	Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today signed a permit allowing construction of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall. Click here to read this press release.
December 17, 2009	Charles A. Harvey, Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls, Vice President, Diversity and Public Affairs, announced the donation of $100,000 at the Travis Point Country Club in Ann Arbor, MI. Click here to read the press release.
March 31, 2010	The leadership of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation announced today an extension of the *Kids For King Education Initiative*. Click here to read this press release.
April 20, 2010	In Memoriam – Dr. Dorothy Height On behalf of the Executive Leadership Cabinet, the Board of Directors and the staff of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. we wish to extend our sincere condolences on the passing of Dr. Dorothy Height. Dr. Height worked very closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., her voice is one that was a constent reminder of equality and one of advocacy. Dr. Height was an ardent supporter of the efforts to build a National Memorial honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Like many Americans we shall miss her sage wisdom and more so, her presence, when we dedicate the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in the third quarter of 2011. We at the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation will miss her tremendously. Harry E. Johnson, Sr. President & CEO
April 28, 2010	PEPCO Donates $300,000 to Build Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. Click here to read the press release.
May 7, 2010	Delta Air Lines Employees and Customers Raised $1 Million for the MLK Memorial. Click here to read the press release.
June 3, 2010	New "MLK Construction Cam" is up and running; providing current photos of the construction site on the National Mall.Click here to read the press release.
June 28, 2010	In Memoriam – Senator Robert C. Byrd WASHINGTON, DC -- On behalf of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. we wish to extend our sincere condolences on the passing of Senator Robert Byrd. In June 2005, Senator Byrd was instrumental in securing federal funding to help build the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Senator Byrd once commented that he came to understand and believe that Dr. King’s dream was the American dream. We at the Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial will always remember the important contribution Senator Byrd made to the building of this historic memorial in the true spirit of equality for all Americans. Harry E. Johnson, Sr. President & CEO
July 30, 2010	The MLK Construction Section of the “Build the Dream” website has launched. The new section includes construction updates, an interactive timeline, and The MLK Construction Cam. Click here to visit the Construction Section of the website and check back often as new features will be added to the section.
September 16, 2010	The LEADERSHIP of the WASHINGTON, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. announced nine student winners of the Kids for King Education Initiative during an event on the National Mall. Click here to read the press release on this event.
September 28, 2010	Nicholas Benson, Stone Carver for Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Wins Prestigious Macarthur Foundation "Genius" Grant. Read more.
October 8, 2010	Bernice King and Martin Luther King, III, children of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Visits Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Site. Read more.
November 11, 2010	Ambassador Andrew Young Tours Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Site. Read more.
December 1, 2010	Members of the press are invited to an exclusive, hard-hat tour of the site.
March 3, 2011	MTTG Joint Venture Donates $1M to MLK Memorial Foundation, Creates Regional Scholarship Program for High School Seniors. Read More.
March 9, 2011	ROMA Design Group Visits MLK Memorial Site. Read More.
May 10, 2011	MLK Memorial Foundation Announces Plans for August 28 MLK Memorial Dedication Read More

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