MLK Memorial

Anyone who has visited our nation's capital has been likely affected. Whether it's a trip to the White House, Capitol Building, Arlington National Cemetery or any number of the magnificent memorials, one gains a greater appreciation of our country's relatively short, in world terms, but magnificent history.

Earlier this week another memorial on the mall in Washington, D.C., was opened to the public: the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Sunday its official dedication will take place with President Obama scheduled to be on hand -- depending on the projected path of Hurricane Irene.

Though King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech is probably most remembered, quotes from it have not been included in the memorial. The memorial website notes that instead the memorial design is derived from the speech, and other memorable quotes are engraved on a 450-foot crescent shaped wall.

It's important that the memorial's structure not solely focuse on the famous 1963 speech but on King's entire life's work. King's nonviolent approach to helping secure civil rights was more than one speech. It was years of hard work compounded by intense struggles.

King is honored each year around the country -- including in Cape Girardeau where several events take place. One of those events is the Southeast Missouri State University Martin Luther King Jr. dinner and presentation. This coming year's event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Show Me Center with L. Douglas Wilder, the country's first African-American governor, serving as the keynote speaker.

For those who have yet to make the trip to Washington, D.C., especially students, we'd encourage you to do so. Many local students started back to class this week, and surely each will learn something about American history this year. But there's nothing quite like visiting the nation's capital to experience history first hand, and for those who plan to go, you now have another attraction to visit and man to remember.