Martin Luther King Memorial in Yerba Buena Gardens Essay

Situated on the recess of 4th St. and Mission St., in downtown San Francisco is Yerba Buena Gardens. Sounds from the hustle and bustle of cars driving and nation walking trickle Yerba Buena Gardens, except in one particular location. In one corner of the gardens stands a Martin Luther magnate Jr. muniment. The memorial is breathtakingly beautiful with a fifty foot high and twenty foot wide waterf all that travel oer Sierra granite. In the Memorials hallway, visitors read quotes from Dr. mogul himself that argon engraved on glass panels and set in granite. The physiologic beauty of the memorial is undeniable, how invariably many people argon non aware of the symbolism lying beneath the memorials surface. The memorials waterfall symbolizes the realization of Dr. poofs dreams the realization of Dr. faggots dream, the tears shed by millions and of the voices of African AmericasThe memorial besides reminds us of the oppressed African Americans whose voices were drowned by ignored that, it is apparent that parliamentary law was pushed backwards in the race to equality with the mandatory evacuation of thousands of people due to the development of the Yerba Buena Gardens. King Jr. dreamt that all human beings, careless(predicate) of skin color, will one day be able to exsert in a completely free, just, and non-discriminatory society. It was his dream of an equal society that pushed Martin Luther King Jr. to become an advocate for universal suffrage. Even though the join States already had universal suffrage, unfair literacy tests and poll taxes plagued the voting process and modify nearly all impoverished AfricanAmericans from voting 1. King cherished a colorblind society a society where all human beings are treated equally and respectfully and granted the same mortalal liberties and semi policy-making granting immunity. Martin Luther King argued, in his I Have a Dream speech, that we are not satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream 2. This quote from Dr. Kings speech is inscribed on the right end wall of the memorial. by and by reading the final inscribed quote, it is apparent that the purpose of the waterfall is to stand for the realization of Martin Luther Kings dream of a just society. arbitrator , The United States Martin Luther Kings dream of justice in right aways society a monumental victory of justice over prejudice. It is so easy to forget about what it took for America to become a truly free and nondiscriminatory nation. The mists are a necessary reminder for people in nowadayss society that personal liberty and political freedom should never be taken for granted.Though Yerba Buena Gardens is situated in downtown San Francisco, a busy city filled with loud noises, the memorial itself is peculiarly quiet and calm. The memorials serenity is due to the overpowering, but surprisingly tranquil sound of the rushing water from the waterfall. The power of the waterfa ll to drown out all exterior noise is phenomenal. It is impossible to up to now hear what someone is saying when they are right next to you. Visitors raise to overcome the sound of the rushing water by screaming or whistling, but are unsuccessful. Independent from lifes distractions, visitors are given the opportunity to absorb all that the memorial and Dr. Kings terminology have to offer. Visitors can take this period to self-reflect and to appreciate the efforts of earlier generations contend for equality during our nations infancy. The undeniable strength of the waterfalls sound to obscure all external noise makes Being incapable of expressing feelings or thoughts leaves an unfamiliar and dreadful sensation. People living in todays society are usually ignorant to this unfamiliar, almost confined feeling of screaming at the top of your lungs without a single person acknowledging your frustrations.During our nations history, however, nearly all African Americans struggled w ith this same frustration. bewildered against the white minority, blacks throughout history struggled to get their concerns addressed and their votes counted. The visitors inability to communicate vocally is short-lived and fortunately, only lasts as pertinacious as it takes for the person to walk through the memorial. African Americans, however, were plagued with powerlessness for hundreds of historic period. Martin Luther King Jr. felt obliged to provide a voice for all African Americans stripped of the right to do so on their own. referable to the hard work of Martin Luther King, civil rights leaders and activists, and President Johnson, on opulent 6, 1965 the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, which banned the use of literacy tests and in like manner needful stricter monitoring of the use of poll taxes in state and local elections 3. Finally, the time had come when African Americans could voice their opinions and have them be heard, and vote for the political constitu ent whom carried similar beliefs and morals. The development of the Yerba Buena Gardens, as part of the Urban innovation Project was not always considered to be something positive and beneficial.During the 1950s, city planners hale thousands of people living in the South of Market area out of their homes, arguing that the area was dangerous Skid Row ripe for redevelopment, live by bums and transients whose fate mattered little 4. City planners left out the central fact that many people who lived in this area were elderly and low-down and had little defense against the federal bulldozer 5. The city did try and move as many people as possible, but only had 276 units of sensitive housing to re dapple thousands of demolished units. Thousands were left homeless and kicked out of mayhap the only home they have ever known and will ever know, due to lack of job skills needed to find employment. The irony of placing a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial, a man who advocated for equality a nd justice until his assassination, on land where thousands of impoverished people were evicted just a couple years earlier, is almost too horrific to comprehend.The hypocrisy in the decision to place this memorial at the Yerba Buena Gardens is undeniable and unforgiveable. The memorials waterfall is a reminder of the relentless adversity that plagued millions of blacks for thousands of years and the tears they shed. The waterfall also symbolizes the realization of Dr. Kings dream. The eviction methods used during the Urban transmutation period to obtain the land where the memorial sits were ethically questionable, however it is restrained important to visit this monument from time to time. The memorial stands there in the middle of Yerba Buena Gardens, in the middle of downtown San Francisco, as a silent, yet constant reminder to never take anything for granted and to always think about the blood, sweat, and tears shed by millions in order for people today to enjoy and exercise the complete personal liberty and political freedom that we are so fortunately blessed with.