Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

The Memorial
The memorial celebrates the crusades Dr. King undertook to achieve
 social justice for African-Americans in the United States. The predominant
 feature of the site is the eleven-foot, jet black granite obelisk in the
 center of the memorial garden. It was imported from India and gifted to the garden
 by an anonymous donor. Next to the monument is an informational kiosk
 featuring photos of Dr. King and inspirational text written by Dr. Dorothy King (no 
relation). A copy of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech given in
 Washington, D.C. is accessible by scanning a QR code on the signage.


As you view the memorial from the Greenbelt, you’ll notice six granite
 slabs on each side of the entrance leading to the obelisk with the name
 of Dr. King’s twelve historic crusades. The granite markers and the granite
 bench were generously donated by Norm Lacasse. Norm was instrumental in
 the discovery of the century-old trail system in the early 1990s and is
 a founding member of the Capital Area Greenbelt Association.


You may wonder why the memorial was not located in more heavily trafficked section
 of Harrisburg. At the time of the garden’s formation, money was 
not available to purchase land in an ideal spot for the memorial. The
 property is owned by the City of Harrisburg and was made available by 
the city’s Parks and Recreation Director at no cost. The Capital Area
Greenbelt Association took on the project.



It took 12 years to build the memorial and create the beautiful
 landscaping surrounding it. A unique feature of the memorial is one that
 you won’t see. It’s a time capsule developed during construction.
The capsule consists of a handmade miniature coffin containing a letter
 from then Mayor Linda Thompson. Also inside is a list of signatures of
 court-adjudicated youth who signed a pledge never to speak the “N” word
 again. The miniature coffin was laid in the concrete base of the Memphis
 Crusade granite marker by Mayor Thompson at its installation ceremony.

The Gardens
On the other side
 of the kiosk, you can read about the native plants in the surrounding
 gardens. Great care was taken to choose native plants both for their
 environmental benefit as well as for the practical reason of reducing
 maintenance. Behind the six rows of the bee- and bird-friendly plants
 is a row of deer-resistant juniper trees.

Maintaining these beautiful grounds requires a team of volunteers. One
 of the first volunteer groups came from Daikon Youth Services. Through
 the years, members of the Keystone Rotary Club, Dauphin County Master
 Gardeners, individuals needing community service hours, as well as other 
interested parties, have all contributed to the effort to keep the
 gardens well-tended.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial reminds us of Dr.
King’s vision for a just America for everyone. If your next walk or ride
 brings you by the memorial, take some time enjoy the landscaping and
 quiet and reflect on his message of peace and justice that’s as relevant
 today as it was then.