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A Hero for All

January 19, 2026
By Alicia Green

Flip Schulke Archives/Corbis via Getty Images

On August 28, 1963, about 250,000 people listened as Martin Luther King Jr. described his dream. He spoke about a nation that lived up to the words in the Declaration of Independence: “that all men are created equal.” King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most well-known of all time.

King spoke his now-famous words on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. This year marks the 15th anniversary of another memorial, just a short distance away. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial first opened to the public in 2011.

About 3 million people visit the memorial each year. It features a 450-foot-long stone wall with 14 famous quotes by King. At the center of the memorial is a 30-foot-tall sculpture of King called the Stone of Hope. 

King's Dream
Watch a video to learn more about Dr. King’s life and impact.

Helping Others

Visiting the memorial is just one of many ways that Americans honor King’s legacy. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is January 19 this year. The national holiday celebrates King’s work as one of the most important leaders of the civil rights movement. During the 1950s and 1960s, King worked to gain equal rights for Black Americans. He led peaceful protests against unfair laws. King’s powerful speeches inspired countless others to join the cause. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is also a national day of service, inspired by King’s commitment to helping others. Many people across the country will take time that day to volunteer in their communities. 

The Stone of Hope

  • The Stone of Hope gets its name from a line in the “I Have a Dream” speech: “We will be able to hew [or cut] out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”
  • More than 900 designs were submitted for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
  • The memorial’s address is 1964 Independence Avenue SW. It’s a reference to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed segregation in public places in the U.S.
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