It's official. The Department of the Interior has approved construction of the Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial on the National Mall. That's the good news. According to a press release marking the occasion, though, the needed funds are still not in place.

"I am excited to move forward with construction and share that we are in the home stretch of the fund-raising campaign to build this national memorial to Dr. King," said Harry E. Johnson, Sr., president of the Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. "I call on all Americans to participate in our Build the Dream: Countdown to Completion phase of the fund-raising campaign by donating $1 or more to become a part of history." Press Release
In a previous post, we noted that the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial Project Foundation was complaining about what they believed to be inordinate delays in finalizing permission to build on the Mall. No one mentioned any complaints at the signing ceremony.

Now that Secretary Salazar has signed a construction permit, the non-profit Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial Project Foundation Inc. can proceed with construction of the memorial. The new memorial will be situated adjacent to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and in a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Dr. King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream Speech" at the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963.

The ceremonial groundbreaking took place on November 13, 2006, and the memorial is expected to be completed in 2011.

The design of the four-acre memorial includes the use of water, stone and trees to symbolize Dr. King's call to America for justice, opportunity and hope for all people. "Dr. King's dream is America's dream," Salazar said. "This new memorial honoring him and his legacy will help us share this dream - and America's story - with future generations." Source: Press Release

Will you make it a point to visit the memorial?