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| President Obama at the Memorial |
America on this day celebrated the memorial dedication of Martin Luther King Jr at the Washington National Mall.
The occasion was marked by speeches from civil rights leaders such as Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, both of whom were associates of King, and the Rev. Al Sharpton culminated with a song from Aretha Franklin and an address from President Obama. The MLK statue which was erected by Chinese sculptor Lei Yi Xin was unveiled, marking the first Black man to be honoured at the National Mall.
In his speech, President Obama reiterated the need to honour the speech “I have a dream” which according to him “gave birth to our deepest dreams and our most lasting ideas”.
The occasion also recorded the unexpected appearance of Steve Wonder who sang the Happy Birthday, which chorused everywhere.
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| The MLK sculpture from a distance |
