It was in the summer of 2019 when I had the opportunity to travel to the United States. My parents surprised me about this trip and they told me that we would be going to five states in total- Georgia, Orlando, Washington D.C, Massachusetts and New York. We were mainly going to meet our families who were living there, to see some famous universities like Harvard, MIT and also visit historical monuments.
Out of the five states which we had visited, our trip to Washington D.C was the most enriching. Besides being the capital of the USA, it is also famous for its rich heritage. I have vivid memories of visiting the ‘Stone of Hope’ memorial. It had the figure of Martin Luther King Jr. carved on it. It was so huge and majestic that it seemed to have been touching the clear blue sky! There was an inscription on the side of the monument- ‘Out of the Monument of Despair, a Stone of Hope’. This indeed has a very deep meaning to it. Figuratively, the visitors actually have to pass through the ‘Mountain of Despair’ in order to reach the ‘Stone of Hope’. Literally, however, this line, which has been taken from Martin Luther King Jr.'s renowned ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, represents all the struggles and hardships faced by him as well his fellow Afro-Americans, who were deprived of their fundamental right to Freedom.
The whole world knows Martin Luther King Jr. as a great leader of the black community, an eminent civil rights activist and a determined individual who fought his life, just to ensure that all human beings irrespective of their colour or race, gets freedom. Whenever we hear his name, we often relate it to his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, which he had given on the steps of the Lincoln memorial. Although this memorial was built decades after his assassination, it still leaves a long lasting impression on the person who visits this memorial. This memorial can truly be called a monument of Global Peace because- “There cannot be peace in the world if there is no harmony among the people living in it !”
This memorial was built by taking inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr.’s work, which had a profound impact on today's world. It has left a mark not only on America’s history but also in the hearts of millions and it can never be erased.
I have learnt to respect all my fellow human beings and to not merely judge anyone on the basis of their outward appearance, which is often deceptive. I feel privileged to have visited an architectural marvel such as this, which is emblematic of the resilient people of those times. I take this as an inspiration to carry on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.- To always voice out our opinions, no matter if we are in a situation where the stronger suppresses the weaker.
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