Monumental Meaning of MLK Memorial

King - National Archives Photo

My mother asked me to take pictures of the newest memorial on the National Mall. It seemed like a silly thing -- until I thought about why she was asking.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial was to be dedicated on Sunday -- the anniversary of his Aug. 28, 1963 "I Have A Dream" speech delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at a massive march on Washington.

And I had planned to be among the crowd for the official dedication of the first monument on the Mall honoring a black American.

But the public  ceremony was postponed as Hurricane Irene churned up the East Coast, threatening to bring torrential rain and strong winds to Washington.  King's Alpha Psi Alpha fraternity -- the driving force behind the monument -- held a private dedication on Friday and reading about it reminded me of my mother's request and why it's  important to get there  for her.

An Alpha,  who grew up in Montgomery, Alabama told The Washington Post that he was honoring his mother's request to stand at the memorial for his parents.

"My mama said: ‘You know what, you gotta go stand for us. You gotta see it for us. Then, when you come home, I’ll see it in your eyes.’ It’s something.”

To be there for the parents and grandparents and so many ancestors is something I completely understand. It is why I will go for my mother and take pictures even though she can see any number of pictures on TV or on the Internet. She needs to experience it with with me, to see it through my eyes.

It's important to her and to me that I stand on the grounds of that monument and reflect on where we were in 1963 and where we are in 2011.

March on Washington - Speech starts at 23:45

So much has changed since Brown vs. Board of Education gave a young mother hope that her daughter's life would be one filled with opportunity and promise. So much has changed since the Civil Rights Act gave that young mother hope that America was on the verge of living the dream King spoke of in that speech.

So much has changed. And yet, so much hasn't. The memorial is a reminder to express gratitude to  all the people who paved the way for me to  simply live in dignity; to honor their sacrifices and to always be mindful of what they were up against.  Washington Post columnist Colbert I. King sums it up quite nicely here in a piece on why King's life work was so important.

That's why I have to go to the memorial and stand there for my mother -- and for me.