FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Darrell Jackson Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation 803-730-5941 darrell@thecarawaygroup.com

The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. Respond to the Proposed Changes to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Washington, DC (February 11, 2012) Below is the statement from Harry E. Johnson, Sr., President and CEO of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc., in response to the announcement by U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the National Park Service of proposed changes to the Drum Major Quote on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial: It is with great disappointment, we learned yesterday in the press, that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the King Family made a unilateral decision to dramatically change the Stone of Hope. This decision came after the Memorial Foundation made repeated attempts to work in collaboration with the leaders of the National Park Service to resolve the Drum Major Quote issue. It is the position of the Memorial Foundations architects and consultants that the direction recommended by the National Park Service will in fact threaten the design, structure and integrity of the Stone of Hope. While we understand the position of the National Park Service, we are confident that our legion of donors, volunteers and supporters will agree that a less intrusive solution should be explored to ensure the sanctity of the iconic symbol we have come to cherish is not threatened. I urge the White House, the United States Congress and the American People to stand with us. For more information about the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, please visit www.buildthedream.org or contact Darrell Jackson at darrell@thecarawaygroup.com or 803.730.5941. About the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.: The Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) organization that lead the collaborative effort to complete the Memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the National Mall. The Memorial is situated adjacent to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and in a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Congress passed a Joint Resolution in 1996 authorizing Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to establish a Memorial in Washington, D.C. honoring Dr. King. The

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial was officially opened in August 2011. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.buildthedream.org.