MLK's daughter calls for a 'radical revolution of values':
'via Blog this'
Ten of thousands of people have gathered on a beautiful fall day in Washington to witness the formal dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial that opened in August.
On Deadline will be liveblogging the event.
Update at 9:55 a.m. ET: Martin Luther King III calls for an end of "conservative policies that exclude people." "We must finally get rid of racism."
Update at 9:51 a.m. ET: King III praises the "occupy" economic movement that began on Wall Street, saying, "We must stand up for economic justice."
GALLERY: Photos from the MLK ceremony
Update at 9:48 a.m. ET: Martin Luther King III, King's song, says it is important "not to place too much emphasis on Martin Luther King the idol, and not enough on the ideals of Martin Luther King."
Update at 9:42 a.m. ET: She notes that her father was iactively involved in a poor people's campaign when he died. She says she believe thathe would be supportive now of protests by the poor and the unemployed. "I hear my father say: We must have a radical revolution of values and a reordering of our priorities in this nation. I hear my father say, as we dedicate this monument, we must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society, to a person-oriented society."
Update at 9:39 a.m. ET: She also praises her mother, Coretta Scott King, for her work with King, particularly after his death, by continuing to his legacy. Her work, says Bernice , help make "most hated man in America in 1967 to now be one of the most revered and lovedmen in the world so that we might be able to build a monument in his honor. Thanks you, Mama, for your dedication, thank you for your sacrifice."
Update at 9:36 a.m. ET: Rev. Bernice King" says the day "is not just a celebration for African-Americans, but Americans and citizens around the world. No doubt today the world celebrates with us."
Update at 9:34 a.m. ET: Rev. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., says, "It is a great time of celebration and the entire King family is proud to witness this day."
Update at 9:32 a.m. ET: USA TODAY's Carly Mallenbaum reports that spectators are looking for any sort of shade on the open lawn. Families sit in chairs with built-in canopies. Women sit beneath open umbrellas. One woman fans herself with an innovative device: A hand fan that turns into a straw hat.
Update at 9:29 a.m. ET: King's sister, Christine King Farris, refers to Obama, the first African-American president, and says, "All dreams cane come true and America is a place where you can make it happen."
Update at 9:20 a.m. ET: Gray spends much of his speech noting that residents of Washington D.C .do not, under the Constitution, have the right to vote. He calls on President Obama and Congress to end this "yoke of injustice" and "remove the shackles of oppression." The voting restrictions were put in place when the District of Columbia was created. The district does not have a voting representative in Congress.
Update 9:17 a.m. ET: Mayor Vincent Gray of Washington, D.C., says the memorial is "long overdue."
Update at 9:34 a.m. ET: In the crowd, the Free Martin Luther King Jr Memorial baseball caps fit all sizes of heads on Sunday, reports USA TODAY's Carly Mallenbaum. The white hats provided much-needed shade from a strong morning sun during the celebration event. Ruby Johnson, a 64-year-old retired Walmart employee from Danville,Va., disapproved of the free hat color choice ("I can't wear white after Labor Day!"), but was very much in favor of the MLK Memorial event. "I don't have to ride the back of the bus, because of him," she says of the civil rights leader.
Update at 9:11 a.m. ET: Gwen Ifill, managing editor of PBS' Washington Week addresses the crowd as master of ceremonies.
Original post: The striking weather is in sharp contast to the stormy weather driven by Hurricane Irene that forced a postponement of the ceremonies in August.
President Obama will be among those honoring the legacy of the civil rights leader during the four-hour program. Others who will appear include singer Aretha Franklin and poet Nikki Giovanni, who will poem In the Spirit of Martin.
Thousands of people began gathering at dawn at the memorial, which is not far from the Lincoln Memorial. Organizers say they expect as many as 50,000 people to attend today, USA TODAY's Melanie Eversley reports.
King's sister and two of his children are scheduled to speak. The choir from King's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta will sing.
"Although our plans have been scaled back, I am confident Sunday's event will be momentous," said Harry Johnson, head of the foundation raising money for the memorial.
He referred to the dedication as a "long-awaited moment in our nation's history."
Update 9:17 a.m. ET: Mayor Vincent Gray of Washington, D.C., says the memorial is "long overdue."
Update at 9:34 a.m. ET: In the crowd, the Free Martin Luther King Jr Memorial baseball caps fit all sizes of heads on Sunday, reports USA TODAY's Carly Mallenbaum. The white hats provided much-needed shade from a strong morning sun during the celebration event. Ruby Johnson, a 64-year-old retired Walmart employee from Danville,Va., disapproved of the free hat color choice ("I can't wear white after Labor Day!"), but was very much in favor of the MLK Memorial event. "I don't have to ride the back of the bus, because of him," she says of the civil rights leader.
Update at 9:11 a.m. ET: Gwen Ifill, managing editor of PBS' Washington Week addresses the crowd as master of ceremonies.
Original post: The striking weather is in sharp contast to the stormy weather driven by Hurricane Irene that forced a postponement of the ceremonies in August.
President Obama will be among those honoring the legacy of the civil rights leader during the four-hour program. Others who will appear include singer Aretha Franklin and poet Nikki Giovanni, who will poem In the Spirit of Martin.
Thousands of people began gathering at dawn at the memorial, which is not far from the Lincoln Memorial. Organizers say they expect as many as 50,000 people to attend today, USA TODAY's Melanie Eversley reports.
King's sister and two of his children are scheduled to speak. The choir from King's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta will sing.
"Although our plans have been scaled back, I am confident Sunday's event will be momentous," said Harry Johnson, head of the foundation raising money for the memorial.
He referred to the dedication as a "long-awaited moment in our nation's history."
Update at 9:36 a.m. ET: Rev. Bernice King" says the day "is not just a celebration for African-Americans, but Americans and citizens around the world. No doubt today the world celebrates with us."
Update at 9:34 a.m. ET: Rev. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., says, "It is a great time of celebration and the entire King family is proud to witness this day."
Update at 9:32 a.m. ET: USA TODAY's Carly Mallenbaum reports that spectators are looking for any sort of shade on the open lawn. Families sit in chairs with built-in canopies. Women sit beneath open umbrellas. One woman fans herself with an innovative device: A hand fan that turns into a straw hat.
Update at 9:29 a.m. ET: King's sister, Christine King Farris, refers to Obama, the first African-American president, and says, "All dreams cane come true and America is a place where you can make it happen."
Update at 9:20 a.m. ET: Gray spends much of his speech noting that residents of Washington D.C .do not, under the Constitution, have the right to vote. He calls on President Obama and Congress to end this "yoke of injustice" and "remove the shackles of oppression." The voting restrictions were put in place when the District of Columbia was created. The district does not have a voting representative in Congress.
Update 9:17 a.m. ET: Mayor Vincent Gray of Washington, D.C., says the memorial is "long overdue."
Update at 9:34 a.m. ET: In the crowd, the Free Martin Luther King Jr Memorial baseball caps fit all sizes of heads on Sunday, reports USA TODAY's Carly Mallenbaum. The white hats provided much-needed shade from a strong morning sun during the celebration event. Ruby Johnson, a 64-year-old retired Walmart employee from Danville,Va., disapproved of the free hat color choice ("I can't wear white after Labor Day!"), but was very much in favor of the MLK Memorial event. "I don't have to ride the back of the bus, because of him," she says of the civil rights leader.
Update at 9:11 a.m. ET: Gwen Ifill, managing editor of PBS' Washington Week addresses the crowd as master of ceremonies.
Original post: The striking weather is in sharp contast to the stormy weather driven by Hurricane Irene that forced a postponement of the ceremonies in August.
President Obama will be among those honoring the legacy of the civil rights leader during the four-hour program. Others who will appear include singer Aretha Franklin and poet Nikki Giovanni, who will poem In the Spirit of Martin.
Thousands of people began gathering at dawn at the memorial, which is not far from the Lincoln Memorial. Organizers say they expect as many as 50,000 people to attend today, USA TODAY's Melanie Eversley reports.
King's sister and two of his children are scheduled to speak. The choir from King's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta will sing.
"Although our plans have been scaled back, I am confident Sunday's event will be momentous," said Harry Johnson, head of the foundation raising money for the memorial.
He referred to the dedication as a "long-awaited moment in our nation's history."
Update 9:17 a.m. ET: Mayor Vincent Gray of Washington, D.C., says the memorial is "long overdue."
Update at 9:34 a.m. ET: In the crowd, the Free Martin Luther King Jr Memorial baseball caps fit all sizes of heads on Sunday, reports USA TODAY's Carly Mallenbaum. The white hats provided much-needed shade from a strong morning sun during the celebration event. Ruby Johnson, a 64-year-old retired Walmart employee from Danville,Va., disapproved of the free hat color choice ("I can't wear white after Labor Day!"), but was very much in favor of the MLK Memorial event. "I don't have to ride the back of the bus, because of him," she says of the civil rights leader.
Update at 9:11 a.m. ET: Gwen Ifill, managing editor of PBS' Washington Week addresses the crowd as master of ceremonies.
Original post: The striking weather is in sharp contast to the stormy weather driven by Hurricane Irene that forced a postponement of the ceremonies in August.
President Obama will be among those honoring the legacy of the civil rights leader during the four-hour program. Others who will appear include singer Aretha Franklin and poet Nikki Giovanni, who will poem In the Spirit of Martin.
Thousands of people began gathering at dawn at the memorial, which is not far from the Lincoln Memorial. Organizers say they expect as many as 50,000 people to attend today, USA TODAY's Melanie Eversley reports.
King's sister and two of his children are scheduled to speak. The choir from King's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta will sing.
"Although our plans have been scaled back, I am confident Sunday's event will be momentous," said Harry Johnson, head of the foundation raising money for the memorial.
He referred to the dedication as a "long-awaited moment in our nation's history."
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