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Aug 28th 2011

Dedication of the King Memorial

After years of preparation and planning, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was scheduled to be officially dedicated on August 28, 2011.  I was blessed to be part of the planning for the Dedication events … In fact, I was the Lead Coordinator for the National Prayer Service that took place on August 27 (which happened to also be my birthday).

Johnson Lloyd Chane Haynes Ratliff Young Mason King West Lowery Adams Campbell Hendi Brock Bernstein Salguero Lee Moss Johnson Edmonds Johnson Lloyd Chane Haynes Ratliff Young Mason King West Lowery Adams Campbell Hendi Brock Bernstein Salguero Lee Moss Johnson Lloyd Chane Haynes Ratliff Young Mason King West Lowery Adams Campbell Hendi Brock Bernstein Salguero Lee Moss

As we know, Mother Nature had plans of her own … first, an earthquake, then Hurricane Irene rolled through the Nation’s Capital, forcing the postponement of the formal Dedication to October.  But the Prayer Service went on as scheduled in August, and it was a wonderful and inspiring event …  Particularly moving and personal tributes were offered by Elder Bernice King, Reverend Joseph Lowery, and Ambassador Andrew Young. Here’s THE PROGRAM

(We’d planned to have it at Washington National Cathedral, but earthquake damage to the Cathedral forced us to move to the National Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  What a stunningly beautiful church!  If you’ve never been there, you MUST make a point of visiting.)

It was the last event of the week before folks fled, I mean got out of town and out of the way of Irene.  Though it was not what we’d planned, it was somehow fitting that the week of festivities came to a close with a Prayer Service.

The formal dedication services were held on October 16, 2011.

Enjoy these photos of the prayer service.

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