Lincoln Memorial: A symbol of civil rights movement, where Martin Luther King Jr gave ‘I have a dream’ speech

The ‘Celebrating America’ event, following Joe Biden’s swearing-in, was held on Wednesday at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. The monument honours Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the US, who, among other things, is known for leading the nation through the Civil War (1861-1865) and abolishing slavery.

The monument was by artist Henry Bacon on the lines similar to that of the Parthenon in Athens. It’s built on reclaimed marshland along the banks of the Potomac river.

The cornerstone of the structure was laid in 1915 and the monument was inaugurated in 1922. Lincoln’s only surviving son, Robert, attended the inauguration event. 

The Memorial includes 36 columns, one for each state in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death in 1865.

The names of 48 states, which were admitted into the union at the time of the completion of the monument, are engraved in Roman numerals. The names of Hawaii and Alaska are inscribed on a plaque located on its front steps. The two states attained statehood several years after the monument was completed.

Since its inauguration, the Lincoln Memorial has been a symbol of civil rights movement. 

On April 9, 1939, renowned African American contralto, Marian Anderson, performed at the site, after being denied to perform at Constitution Hall. According to Anderson’s biographer Allan Keiler, she was denied permission to perform at the Hall, “because she was black,” NPR reported. 

In August 1963, some 250,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial to draw attention to inequalities faced by African Americans. It was when civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr gave his famous “I have a dream” speech.