Endangered Monument
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, D.C.'s central public library, is currently listed as one of the most endangered places by the D.C. Preservation League. According to the League, three decades without preventative maintenance and system upgrades has left the library in need of very costly renovations. In light of the vast expense, government officials are making plans to replace the existing library with a new, smaller building, to be located approximately one block from the current location.
Resonant Events
2000 to Present
The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, is an incredible echo of King's legacy. Originally founded in 1968 by Dr. King's widow, Coretta Scott King, the center is a living memorial to both Dr. King and his vision. By educating the world about Dr. King's "philosophy and methods of nonviolence, human relations, service to mankind, and related teachings," the King Center promotes social awareness and carries King's dreams forward.
On June 23, 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld affirmative action in higher education when it affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, in the case of Grutter v. Bollinger, et al.
In a vote of 5-4, the U.S. Supreme Court found the University of Michigan Law School's affirmative action policy to be in line with the equal protections clause of the 14th Amendment.
Justice O'Connor, in charge of preparing the majority opinion, stated, "We find that the Law School's admissions program bears the hallmarks of a narrowly tailored plan. As Justice Powell made clear in Bakke [Prominent Supreme Court ruling in 1978 upholding the general principle of affirmative action], truly individualized consideration demands that race be used in a flexible, non-mechanical way." She wrote that universities can "consider race or ethnicity more flexibly as a 'plus' factor in the context of individualized consideration of each and every applicant." And, in summary, she pointed out, "the Equal Protection Clause does not prohibit the Law School's narrowly tailored use of race in admissions decisions to further a compelling interest in obtaining the educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body."
At this point, you may be wondering, "How does this relate to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., exactly?" The practice of affirmative action is inherently tied to the civil rights movement. Affirmative action is basically a strategic governmental safety net used to uphold the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its many amendments. The tireless efforts of Dr. King and many others helped encourage government to pass this landmark legislation.
