GM Gives Sneak Peak Of MLK Memorial

 DETROIT  -- General Motors is providing an advance look at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, which will be dedicated on Aug. 28 on the National Mall in Washington

As major contributors to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation, the General Motors Foundation, GM and Chevrolet received one of only two replicas of the Memorial. GM is donating its replica to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History for its ongoing effort to provide learning opportunities, exhibitions and programs that explore the diverse history and culture of African Americans.

"As the world's largest museum dedicated to the African American experience, we are honored to house the replica of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial," said Charles H. Wright Museum President Juanita Moore. "The replica is a great addition to the Museum's collection, which documents, preserves and educates on African American history, life, and culture."

GM Foundation President Vivian Pickard said that GM, the GM Foundation and Chevrolet have donated more than $10 million to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation, and are committed to remaining a driving force in seeing the Memorial completed and raising public awareness of its existence.

"This replica of the Memorial will reach many people from around the world who visit the Charles H. Wright Museum here in Detroit and will help to spread Dr. King's message of democracy, justice, hope and love," Pickard said. "The GM Foundation is pleased to support the MLK Foundation in honoring Dr. King.  He continues to be a model of hope and a great humanitarian, whose story of striving for equality should never be forgotten."

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial will be positioned on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in direct line between the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, the place where Dr. King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on Aug. 28, 1963. The centerpiece of the Memorial, the "Stone of Hope", will feature a 30-foot likeness of Dr. King using natural elements. It will contain excerpts of his sermons and public addresses to serve as living testaments of his vision of America. It will be the first memorial on the National Mall to honor a non-U.S. president.

"The GM Foundation and General Motors were among the first to contribute to the legacy of Dr. King by sponsoring this important memorial," said Harry E. Johnson, president and CEO, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation. "We are grateful for their generous contribution and commitment to uphold the ideals most important to Dr. King."

About the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.

A Memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be built on the National Mall, situated adjacent to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and in a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.  Congress passed Joint Resolutions in 1996 authorizing Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to establish a Memorial honoring Dr. King to be built in Washington, D.C.  The ceremonial groundbreaking took place on November 13, 2006.  McKissack & McKissack / Turner Construction Company/ Gilford Corporation / Tompkins Builders, Inc. Joint Venture will serve as the Design-Build Team. McKissack & McKissack is the oldest minority-owned architectural firm in the United States.