Public to get first glimpse of King memorial

By Ben Nuckols

Associated Press

Published: Monday, Aug. 22 2011 2:55 a.m. MDT

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A part of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is seen on the National Mall in Washington, Sunday, Aug., 21, 2011. The memorial to the late civil rights leader is scheduled to be dedicated later this week.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Associated Press

Summary

Tourists and Washingtonians alike are about to get their first up-close look at the memorial to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

WASHINGTON — Tourists and Washingtonians alike are about to get their first up-close look at the memorial to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The site is opening Monday morning without fanfare to kick off a week of celebrations ahead of Sunday's official dedication.

The memorial sits on the National Mall near the Tidal Basin, between monuments honoring Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. It includes a 30-foot-tall sculpture of King and a 450-foot-long granite wall inscribed with 14 quotations from the civil rights leader. The public will be allowed onto the site starting at 11 a.m.

Sunday's dedication ceremony will mark the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington and King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech. President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak at the dedication.

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