Martin Luther King Memorial Project

This April, it was 42 years ago pastor and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. passed away and to commemorate him and his legacy, an initiative is underway to build a memorial for him in Washington.

The memorial aims to highlight the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "honoring his national and international contributions to world peace through non-violent social change". It is also conceived as a place where visitors from all over the world can draw strength from his achievements.

The memorial will be completed when all the funds have been raised and will be built in Washington. Organisers hope it will be dedicated by 2011.

Martin Luther King is well known for his work to further equal rights for Americans.

King came from a very close-knit family with a long line of preachers. Following in the family footsteps, he became a pastor. His brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all pastors; his daughter is also a pastor, and all of them ministered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta during their careers. Martin Luther King, Jr. was following in his father's and grandfather's footsteps in pushing for equality, and his legacy is the culmination of more than three generations of his own family.