Martin Luther King Memorial in Yerba Buena Gardens Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther tycoon narrative in Yerba Buena Gardens EssaySituated on the corner of 4th St. and Mission St., in downtown San Francisco is Yerba Buena Gardens. Sounds from the bustle ab appear and bustle of cars driving and race walking permeate Yerba Buena Gardens, except in unmatched particular location. In one corner of the gardens stands a Martin Luther King junior memorial. The memorial is breathtakingly beautiful with a fifty foot high and twenty foot wide waterfall that falls over Sierra granite. In the Memorials hallway, visitors read quotes from Dr. King himself that are engraved on glass panels and set in granite. The physical beauty of the memorial is undeniable, however many people are not aware of the symbolism lying beneath the memorials surface. The memorials waterfall symbolizes the credit of Dr. Kings dreams the realization of Dr. Kings dream, the tears shed by millions and of the voices of African AmericasThe memorial also reminds us of the oppressed Af rican Americans whose voices were drowned out ignored yet, it is apparent that ordination 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, regardless of skin color, will one day be able to live 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 habitual suffrage. Even though the United States already had universal suffrage, unfair literacy tests and poll taxes plagued the ballot process and disqualified nearly all impoverished AfricanAmericans from voting 1. King wanted a colorblind society a society where all human beings are treated equally and respectfully and given the same own(prenominal) liberties and political freedom. Martin Luther King argued, in his I Have a Dream speech, that we are not satisfied until justice rolls down like water and duty like a mighty stream 2. This quote from Dr. Kings speech is inscribed on the right end wall of the memorial. After practice the final inscribed quote, it is apparent that the purpose of the waterfall is to signify the realization of Martin Luther Kings dream of a just society. Justice , The United States Martin Luther Kings dream of justice in todays society a monumental victory of justice over prejudice. It is so easy to go forth about what it took for America to become a truly free and nondiscriminatory res publica. The mists are a necessary reminder for people in todays 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 metropolis make full with loud noises, the memorial itself is peculiarly quiet and calm. The memorials serenity is due to the over force outing, yet surprisingly tranquil sound of the rushing water from the waterfall. The power of the wat erfall to drown out all exterior noise is phenomenal. It is impossible to even hear what someone is saying when they are right next to you. Visitors study to overcome the sound of the rushing water by screaming or whistling, but are unsuccessful. Independent from lifes distractions, visitors are given the fortune to absorb all that the memorial and Dr. Kings words have to offer. Visitors can take this time to self-reflect and to appreciate the efforts of earlier generations fighting 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 grand sensation. People living in todays society are usually ignorant to this unfamiliar, roughly claustrophobic feeling of screaming at the occur of your lungs without a single person acknowledging your frustrations.During our nations history, however, nearly all African Americans struggled with this same frustration. Helpless against the white minority, blacks throughout history struggled to get their concerns address and their votes counted. The visitors inability to communicate vocally is short-lived and fortunately, only lasts as long as it takes for the person to walk through the memorial. African Americans, however, were plagued with impotency for hundreds of years. Martin Luther King Jr. felt obliged to provide a voice for all African Americans stripped of the right to do so on their own. collectable to the hard work of Martin Luther King, civil rights leaders and activists, and President Johnson, on August 6, 1965 the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, which banned the use of literacy tests and also required stricter monitor 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 constituent whom carried convertible beliefs and morals. T he development of the Yerba Buena Gardens, as part of the Urban Renewal Project was not always considered to be something positive and beneficial.During the 1950s, city planners forced 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, populated by bums and transients whose fate mattered little 4. city planners left out the important fact that many people who lived in this area were elderly and poor and had little defense against the federal bulldozer 5. The city did try and relocate as many people as possible, but only had 276 units of new housing to replace thousands of demolished units. Thousands were left homeless and kicked out of possibly 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 and justice until his assassination, on cut down whe re 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 stiff 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 Renewal period to obtain the land where the memorial sits were ethically questionable, however it is still 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 remember 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 f ortunately blessed with.