This week the long-awaited national memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. opens in Washington. Our group was founded to honor the memory and continue the struggle for voting rights that Dr. King started, by some of the very people he knew and worked with.

The memorial project has been nearly 30 years in the making. The Washington Post is running a special report this week, and as part of it there is a timeline that shows the steps it took to get the monument built.

Our co-founders William Wachtel and Ambassador Andrew Young will be in Washington for the dedication this weekend, and we hope you’ll check back here for updates.

Update: This just in from @MLKMemorial on Twitter — the ceremony has been postponed due to Hurricane Irene.

Dedication Ceremony will be moved to a date not yet determined – Sept. or Oct. 2011. Will announce details as soon as avail. #DedicateMLK

Photo of MLK Memorial via Jacquelyn Martin/AP