In Washington, ceremonies will be held today to mark the beginning of construction of a new federal monument to civil rights icon Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The memorial will sit on four acres, adjacent to the FDR Memorial and in direct line with the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. It marks the first monument to an African American on the National Mall.

Harry Johnson, president and CEO of the Martin Luther King National Memorial Project: “Dr. King will be situated not far from the Lincoln Memorial where he made his famous speech, but then Dr. King is looking over at the Jefferson Memorial and talking about the promissory note that we will come to collect. It’s all apropos to what his message was about then and will be about in the future.”

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.: “It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check; a check which has come back marked 'insufficient funds.'”