wreathlaying and day of prayer in reconciliation here at the martin luther king jr. memorial. it is definitely an honor to be here. one of the most beautiful and impactful and serene memorials that we have here in washington. it is so exciting to know that many of you supported building this memorial. it has become the fifth most visited memorial at our nations capital. round of applause for that for sure. i am proud to be one of those who this memorial was built for, a strong person of color, hbcu graduate. i have benefited from the life of dr. martin luther king jr. he is a man whose life was taken at the age of 51. we now have this breathtaking memorial in remembrance of his life and in betterment of humankind. today, we want to talk about when the -- when the memorial was dedicated in 2011, a new foundation, the memorial foundation was created. four tenants of democracy, hope, and love. let's all prepare to start the ceremony and prepared to enjoy ourselves. we are very blessed right now. we are making them work hard right now. please welcome to the podium are invocation and reconciliation, reverend dr. browning junior. under his leadership, the church has grown yes, the church has grown to exceed more than 8000 members. the church ministers to the needs of the community. dr. granger browning has led the church family in donating nearly $2 million in scholarships to high school graduates and returning college students. what he is today and hopes to be he gives us his lord and savior jesus christ all the honor and glory. please welcome reverend dr. brown junior as he leads us in prayer. >> if we could all bow our heads in a word of prayer. i come today in the name of jesus, first of all giving your name all the honor and praise and glory. this is the day we can rejoice and be glad in because of the diversity of so many groups and faiths today. we rejoice in the diversity of so many nationalities and racial groups today. we rejoice in the fact that many persons of different political persuasions are here today. we rejoice the fact that all of us represent the beloved community dr. martin luther king lived for. on this day we have so much to be thankful for. we thank you for the memorial foundation and all of those who gave of their time and talents to make this memorial. we thank you for all of those who worked so faithfully. we come today in remembrance of dr. king and for the woman of god by his side, mrs. coretta scott king. we thank you for rosa parks, who was the spark for the civil rights movement. we want to say thank you. because of their dedication and commitment. we give your name to praise for women who serve in positions of leadership. like nancy pelosi and maxine waters. we give your name the praise and the honor and the glory or first lady michelle obama and the crowd of witnesses that look down upon us. as we stand in the shadow of this memorial, dr. king never could have imagined as he looked at memorials for lincoln and washington and jefferson that one day there would be a memorial not for president but for a prophet. we come to say thank you because of all that he does and continues to do through the legacy that has been left. on this day, even though all he said 57 years ago has not come to pass, we still have the faith and belief that one day his dreams shall come to pass. one day the sons and daughters of former slaves and former slave owners will join hands as sisters and brothers. we still believe that one day we will live in a country where we will not be judged by the color of our skin but the content of our character. we believe that justice will roll down like mighty waters. one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low. every crooked place shall be made straight in the glory of the lord shall be revealed. we believe by faith that somehow the same mountaintop that moses saw on mount sinai. the same mountaintop that dr. king saw in memphis, tennessee, shall become a reality. we believe that one day even though he might not get there with us, we as a people will get to the promised land. we are not fearing any man. our eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord, and we will continue to believe that glory shall come until the day our feet strike as i am. we shall be able to say free at last, free at last, thank god almighty, free at last. amen. >> amen. thank you for those words that we all should live by, especially during this day and time. we have heard from the pastor. now it is time to set the mood and music and celebration. please welcome members of the ebenezer ame church choir directed by choir director cliff ross. [applause] ♪ >> can we clap our hands this morning as we give god great praise? >> ♪ it's a good time in the lord of praise everybody sing with voices raised hail to our king and all the people the lord, give praise praise the lord today this is the day the lord has saved the lord, praise the lord today this is the day the lord has saved ♪ >> this is a good time to give god praise. everybody sing with voices raised. >> ♪ everybody sing with voices raised ♪ >> hail to our king, let all the people cry. jubilantly. give god great praise. >> ♪ praise the lord today >> this is the day. everybody sing it. say it loud. give god great praise. sing it loud. ♪ this is the day >> ♪ the day the lord has saved ♪ >> this is the day the lord has made. we have something to be grateful for. put your hands together. ♪ oh >> ♪ oh, oh >> ♪ oh >> ♪ oh, oh >> ♪ oh >> ♪ oh, oh >> ♪ oh >> ♪ oh, oh >> ♪ sing hallelujah >> ♪ hallelujah >> ♪ hallelujah >> celebrate. say hallelujah. >> ♪ hallelujah >> ♪ celebrate one more time, say hallelujah. >> ♪ hallelujah >> ♪ let's praise you, celebrate the king lift your voice ♪ >> ♪ lift your voice and sing >> ♪ one more time, sing hallelujah ♪ >> ♪ hallelujah >> ♪ give our god great praise ♪ oh, oh >> ♪ oh oh >> ♪ give god great praise >> ♪ oh, oh >> ♪ give god great praise [applause] dominique: given up one more time for that choir. i'm telling you. the more you clap your hands and celebrate, the warmer you feel. we are going to bring them back later in the show. i look forward to hearing more of those voices. right now, we are going to have welcome remarks from harry e johnson, senior president and ceo of the memorial foundation. he and the memorial foundation and others helped raise more than 120 million dollars to build this memorial. please welcome him with a round of applause. [applause] harry: good morning, good morning, good morning. what a joy it is to be here one more morning. i can't control the weather. i don't know how much money i have. i just cannot buy a good weather. i don't know. thank you all so much for coming out. on behalf of the maury morrill foundation, today we celebrate dr. king's 91st birthday. can you imagine that? 91st birthday. what a vision he had. we thank him for his vision, his life was short-lived but has full meaning for all of us. i want to thank you for coming out to show respect for dr. king. a man who is not a president or war hero but sits on the mall today. as dominique said, this is the fifth most visited memorial. give us a round of applause for that. [applause] harry: how honored i am that governor, you decided to join us on this great day. we appreciate you so much. what a word from the pastor. give the pastor -- [applause] harry: what a word. i am honored always to be joined by board members. my fraternity brothers, all the fraternity and sorority's are great supporters like pvh, faith and politics, the university of washington, d.c., the national park service, the trust of the national mall, radio one, urban networks, and macy's joins us. please give it up for those folks. [applause] harry: in the park service, thank you so much. i'm not going to stay long. thank you for coming out. i'm going to invite young guy vickers to come up and tell us the perspective from a young person standpoint of what this memorial brings us. come up and join us. [applause] guy: to the board members, special guests, visitors and my parents, good morning. my name is guy vickers. it is great to be with all of you to celebrate the holiday of dr. martin luther king jr.. i've been celebrating this day since i was three years old, but especially at this very site. now that i'm 12 years old, it is a blessing to stand here again. i would like to thank mr. harry johnson for giving me this opportunity. as a member of generation z, we are the legacy of love, peace, unity, and the voice for the voiceless. i challenge generation z to make sure the bell of freedom continues to ring to remind us we have come far, but we still have work to do to address equality, racism, education reform, and voter registration reform. i challenge generation z to be changemakers, even if we have to stand alone. to all who are assembled here today, those watching on tv, but to especially boys and girls across america, i want to share my favorite quote by dr. king. "never, never be afraid to do what is right, especially at the well-being of a person or animal at stake. societies punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our souls when we look the other way." again, it is on honored to be here this morning. it is a special honor to introduce to you the president of the pvh foundation, and the memorial foundation, my dad, mr. guy vickers. [applause] guy: he is only 12 years old. [laughter] guy: he thinks he is going to be taller than me. he has a couple years, maybe this summer. i'm so proud of guy. i would like to recognize my best part of me, and that is my wife, and thank them for coming. and thank all of you for coming out today. harry, it is cold, when i left new jersey yesterday, it was snowing. then we hit sleet and we had rain all the way and to d.c. i tell you, after the reverend gave his presentation, i'm warm, i'm not cold anymore. in fact, i think i can take my hat off right now, that's how good i feel. [laughter] guy: on behalf of pvh foundation and pvh owns calvin klein, then he was in, and about 10, 15 other brands, we have been involved at the tommy level since the beginning. i've spent 11 years of my life working with harry and the foundation staff, raising the funds for the memorial. it was a labor of love. next year will be the 10th year since the dedication by president obama. we hope to have some good celebrations for that 10th year -- 10 year anniversary. i would like to quickly recognize our board members, kent benson who is here with his wife, tomorrow. i would also like to recognize michael bennet with his wife, pam, and his grandkids. and i believe chris darling, he is here also. with that, as i sit down, i do want to begin, and i think we should really give a round of applause again to harry johnson who is the leader of this effort and his staff. where are they? the staff never gets enough credit. here we go. we are small but they are mighty. we have to keep the dream alive and we have to keep the support going because the very last thing i will say is that we know the park services involved in keeping the upkeep of the memorial, but we also have to pay attention and make sure it is where we wanted to be. that is our responsibility. with that, i thank you so much and i believe harry, are you coming back up now? ok. i did that one right. [laughter] thank you so much again and god bless. [applause] dominique: my goodness. from the city of washington, d.c., would you welcome on behalf of mayor washington, d.c., secretary of the city, kimberly bassett and longtime supporter of the king memorial former mayor and current city councilman, vincent gray. is he here? ok. he will be here a little later. how about some remarks from today's partner for the city's program, joan mooney, president and ceo of faith and politics. let's give her a round of applause. good morning. [applause] joan: thank you, thank you harry johnson for your leadership in making the vision of the king memorial a reality. and thank you, likewise, to chairman vickers, the board of directors, and the staff at the memorial fund to gather as here each january -- gather as here each january in the shadow an image of our nation's nonviolent revolutionary, a bold leader who changed the world with a force more powerful than any military one. an audacious love for all mankind, that have the power to take down the mightiest walls of oppression and alienation. it is humbling to be with you all to honor dr. king today, who called on each of us to imagine the best of ourselves and the best of one another. at the very heart of the movement, he led with a revolutionary kind of love. as we reflect on his legacy, let us continue to seek a shared understanding of our common humanity. let us reignite the spark of his inspiration that calls us each to service and to stand up and speak out for justice for all. and ultimately, let us recommit ourselves to live our faith through our works in this world. dr. king's mission to redeem the soul of america goes on today with each of us. we at faith and politics seek to blend the transcendental impulse of love with our transactional work in politics in order to create opportunities for all people to live into their highest potential. that same universal impulse of love is grounded in the moral imperative of our founding document, the declaration of independence. it calls us to recognize the fundamental goodness and potential in one another. the document is not just rooted at where we are but where we hope to get as a nation. as a server at ebenezer baptist church in 1965, dr. king spoke about the significance of the declarations moral imperative, and he said never before in the history of the world has a sociopolitical document expressed in such a profound, eloquent, and unequivocal language the dignity and worth of human personality. the american dream reminds us and we should think about it this day, that every man is heir to the legacy of dignity and worth. and that is precisely why this national holiday is so important. and that is why dr. king is memorialized on our national mall here among the pantheons of those giants who fought and died to achieve the american ideals to which we still aspire. we reflect today, we are inspired today, but let us all resolve today to expand our efforts from the smallest to the most expensive ways, to make our democracy even better and our world more just. it takes all of us working together to achieve what we believe is possible. thank you. [applause] dominique: thank you so much, joan mooney, ceo and president of faith and politics. are you guys ready to hear those majestic voices again? it is a chance for you to feel really warm inside and out. the more you clap, the more warmer you will feel. please welcome the ebenezer church choir. [applause] >> we are going to give god total praise. ♪ [singing] [applause] >> beautiful, hallelujah. dominique: give it up one more time for the choir, please. amazing, amazing voices this morning. really warming me up. as we continue the celebration, it is my pleasure to introduce our keynote speaker, bob stanton. he is the first on only director of national park service appointed by president william jefferson clinton. please welcome, bob stanton. [applause] bob: good morning. thank you for that kind introduction. i have the privilege and the pleasure of introducing our keynote speaker for this morning. i want to first of all thank chairman vickers, president harry johnson for giving me this grand opportunity to introduce our speaker for this morning. it has been my privilege and my pleasure as a resident of fairfax, virginia, to be a constituent of our speaker. he is none other than the honorable justin fairfax, lieutenant governor, yes, lieutenant governor of the commonwealth of virginia. the honorable justin fairfax was elected lieutenant governor of the commonwealth of virginia on november 7, 2017. he is the only second african-american of history of the commonwealth and the first in nearly 30 years since the 10 year of governor al douglas wallace to be elected in the statewide office in virginia. wilder served as the governor of virginia. justin's inauguration took place on january 13, 2018. during the course of his professional career, he had been recognized as one of the top young attorneys in the united states, and a rising star in the american politics. he is a prominent and highly successful lawyer, political figure, prominent leader, and in a number of organizations, and most importantly, a proud father of two children. he is a community leader and that which i know personally because i am a beneficiary of his leadership and his services. in 2013, at the tender age of 34, justin was awarded the national bar association nation's best advocate award which recognizes 40 of the top universities throughout the united states. he previously served as an assistant to the u.s. attorney for the eastern district of the virginia in major crimes and narcotics units of the alexander division. during his tenure as a federal prosecutor, he was appointed to serve as the deputy coordinator of the human trafficking task force. he is a student scholar and he continues to learn because he recognized that the intellectual capacity is critically important in the delivery of legal services. but he received a scholarship to attend columbia law school where he was selected to be a member of the columbia law review and earned his doctorate in the law in 2005. he also received a scholarship to duke university in north carolina where he graduated with honors with a degree in public policy. justin went on to serve three years on the duke university board of trustees and the board of visitors of the duke university's stanford school of public policy. he is a member, proudly a member, harry, of the alpha phi alpha fraternity inc. and i please salute him on behalf of the men of omega fraternity for your leadership. thought i had to drop that in. [laughter] bob: ladies and gentlemen, the lieutenant governor and his wife lives in northern virginia with his two children. as i have observed him during the course of his political career leading, along with the governor, the commonwealth of virginia, he knows quite well and he has not wavered in answering in the affirmative to what dr. king described as life's most persistent, most persistent and urgent question, what are you? what am i? what are we doing for others? the lieutenant governor has always answered, i am doing my work in furthering justice, freedom, and dignity for all. thank you, mr. lieutenant governor, justin fairfax. [applause] lt. gov. fairfax: thank you so much. good morning, everyone. bob, i want to share, i appreciate your kind remarks and your very generous introduction. i'm proud to represent you and the commonwealth of virginia. you mentioned omega's and thank you for the greeting. in the bible, it talks about alphas and omega's. [laughter] lt. gov. fairfax: but it talks about us first. i want to be clear about that. god didn't make any mistakes. i thank you so much. i also want to thank everyone who has come and gathered on this incredible day. and i want to briefly recognize a few folks. before i do anything, it is a promise i made to myself and my god, that our god will restore and heal you and he will keep promises. i said the first thing i'm going to do when he does that for me is i'm going to give him some praise. god, thank you for what you have done to make a way and our life. i also want to thank my dear friend, harry, i have to tell you something, you are a world changer. you are somebody who has a spirit of service. you have a vision. you have a heart for the people. and i have rarely met a man who stands as tall in support of others than harry johnson. can we give him a round of applause? thank you for your friendship and your leadership. [applause] lt. gov. fairfax: dr. grainger browning, what a word, let's give him a round of applause. thank you so much. [applause] lt. gov. fairfax: i actually was raised in washington, d.c. i went to high school in maryland. now we live in virginia. we have the whole dmv covered but we knew about you many years ago. lawson brooks is a dear friend and so many wonderful folks. thank you for all you do i. also want to recognize a really great man who i hope you will get to know. he is our secretary of the interior. david bernhardt. i had the privilege and honor of being with secretary hampton, point comfort, where we commemorated 400 years since the first enslaved africans were brought to the shores of virginia. he represented us so well and represents this nation so well. i thank you, can we give him a? round of applause david, thank you for your leadership. [applause] lt. gov. fairfax: i don't know if i have seen him yet. martin luther king the third, our dear friend, thank you so much for all you do to lift this nation up. thank your family for all that you have given. i can't think of a family that has given more to this nation they and the king family. they continue to give in-service and in love every single day. we are grateful to the entire king family. we thank you. we would not be here but for your example and leadership. i'm accompanied today by pastor vernon walton who is a dear friend from first baptist church, one of the most prominent leaders in the commonwealth of virginia. pastor walton, thank you. i want to give you a round of applause. dori scott, lauren burke, our whole team, i'm grateful to you. with that, i want to say that today, we stand on sacred and hallowed ground. to honor a man who stands as an unconquered champion and a drum major for peace. today in 2020, 2020, we are called to redeem the soul in the spirit of this nation. today, we are called to have the courage of our ancestors and to be a bright light in the political darkness. today, we are called to summon the courage of our country to help america, and the world, to rise to the better angels of our nature. today is a quiet and a solemn day. but in fact it should be a loud day. in the end, we remember not the words of our enemies as dr. king said, but the silence of our friends. silence is complicity. and we can no longer be silent or complicit. in the everyday injustices that we have suffocated our national life. injustice anywhere as dr. king said, is a threat to justice everywhere. second timothy, chapter one, verse seven says "for god has not given us the spirit of fear, but a power and of love and of a sound mind." dr. king would have turned 91 years old this past week. i believe he would have challenged us all to be fearless in this moment and to turn the page to the next chapter of the history of this nation. we are now living in the first year of the next 400 years of america. 400 years ago in 1619, the general assembly of virginia where i now serve as lieutenant governor of virginia and preside over the senate of virginia steps away from robert ely took charge of the confederate troops. god is good. following in the footsteps of a great man, governor al douglas wilder, the general assembly met 400 years ago in jamestown. also 400 years ago as i mentioned, the first enslaved africans were forced to land at hampton point comfort, fort monroe. according to history, in 1619, 20 some odd africans were brought to these shores of virginia aboard a ship called the white lion. they did not speak the language. they were given no rights. and they were considered not to be even human beings. and yet 400 years later, their descendents stand before the world in places of prominence and as a living witness that we serve a very mighty god. i bear that witness in my own flesh today as the son of simon. you see, my last name is fairfax, just like the county and the city in virginia. yet for most of my life, i and my family did not know how we got that last name. that changed the week of my inauguration in january of 2018. four it was that week that it was discovered in the old fairfax county courthouse a deed of manumission a freedom document, that had freed my great-great-great grandfather, simon fairfax from slavery, in fairfax county, virginia on june 5, 1798. he was freed by a man named thomas fairfax who was the ninth lord fairfax from the united kingdom from whom the county and city are named. my father got a copy of the document today's before my inauguration. but i saw it for the very first time in my life 20 minutes before i walked up the steps of the capitol on inauguration day to take the oath of office as the 41st lieutenant governor of the commonwealth of virginia. i literally learned as i lot -- as i walked on those steps how i got the last name fairfax. i had a copy of that document in my breast pocket as i raised my right hand. 220 years later, simon fairfax's great-great-great grandson was being sworn in as the number two in command of the very same state where he had been enslaved. we serve a mighty god. as dr. king said, the ark of the university is long but bends toward justice. there is no challenge you cannot overcome. as i look at these beautiful faces, this diverse product -- crowd, i am inspired about the next 400 years in this country. there is nothing that prayer and perseverance and hard work cannot overcome. dr. king was an example of how one individual strength of character can help a nation rise above hate. dr. king shows us how spiritual wealth can transform the life of a country. we stand at the crossroads of history in this nation in 2020. it is a very complex history in america. a history filled with the dual strands of darkness and light, that have run through the veins of the commonwealth of virginia and through our nation, for four centuries. a history of tragedy and triumph. of pain and promise. of slavery and salvation. of opposition and opportunity. it is a history of heart break, but also a history of hope. our current politics call on us to rise to those challenges and to call each one of us to the better angels of our nature. as president lincoln once said that another crucial time in american history, we must be certain that the dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under god, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, and yes, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. as dr. king said, we may have come on different ships but we are all in the same boat now. in fact, we must rise above the narrow confines of our individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all of humanity. the work of dr. king was just one incredible example of how we as a people have triumphed over obstacles that no others have and we will do it again and again. guess what? we built this country, do not tell us to go back there we came from. [applause] lt. gov. fairfax: we are at a crossroads in this nation. we must decide which moral direction we will choose. we live in a time where lies have become commonplace. where the truth is constantly challenged. and facts are needlessly questioned and ignored. we live in an era where leaders in the highest office in the land are swayed more by political games than they are by moral duty. as dr. king once said, a lie cannot live forever. we know the ark of the universe is long, but it ultimately bends toward justice. it does not bend alone. we must all work together to bend that arc. dr. king forced america to confront the great unfulfilled legacy of its own creed heard him the words of our country's founding documents, that all men and women are created equal. let us not pretend that dr. king was welcomed or celebrated by this nation during his time on this earth. he was maligned, he was attacked, he was lied about, he was falsely accused, even hated. but he rose above it all and called on the nation to rise above its own hate. in this 400 year moment, we must decide if we will finally abandon the racism, the sexism, the dehumanization of others from foreign lands, the caging of young children of the border. there is power in the truth. there is power in knowing our history. there is power in knowing from whence we came. dr. king challenged this nation to embrace its own ideals and forced many to look in the mirror to see the true unvarnished reality of day to day life for african-americans in the united states. when i leave here today, i will head to richmond, virginia, the capital of the former confederacy, where tens of thousands of people as we speak today stand armed. i have no fear. the god we serve will protect us and to protect this nation we love. as dr. king looks on us today, be fearless. speak the truth. stand for what is right. and bend the arc of the moral universe today and every single day. just a little bit more toward justice. we serve a mighty god. thank you very much. god bless you all. god bless america. thank you. [applause] >> we know the governor has to get back. please give him another round of applause. governor, thank you so much for coming out. [applause] dominique: one more time, give it up for lieutenant governor. amen, right? a day of celebration, a beautiful one it is. i want to do -- want to introduce our next speaker for remarks. get some photos here. up next to the podium to introduce our next speaker, i want to welcome david zillow, deputy director of the national park service. he is a 28 year career veteran of the national park service. david vela, i hope i am saying your last name correctly, he serves as the deputy director exercising the authority of the director of the national park service. in this role, he leads more than 20,000 national park service employees who protect, preserve, and share america's 419 national parks. please give him a big welcome this morning. [applause] david: thank you so much. it is indeed a pleasure to be here. i would like to thank all of those assembled here today to help us to join in this holiday for martin luther king jr. i have the honor of leading the national park service, which preserves and tells the story of dr. martin luther king jr. at places like birmingham, civil rights national monument. summit of montgomery national historic trail. this magnificent memorial. and many more. as america's storytellers, the national park service is committed, in its second century of service, to telling the history of america, in all of its diversity and complexity in creating a national park that preserves the stories of all americans. we seek to inspire people of all backgrounds. to envision themselves and their stories in their national parks. it is my great pleasure to introduce a man who shares this vision. and is responsible with leading us into a second century of service. as an assistant secretary of interior for fish and wildlife and parks, rob wallace oversees the national park service and the united states fish and wildlife service and the 35 thousand employees, 419 national parks, and more than 600 national wildlife refuges. he is no stranger to the national park service. as he began his career as a seasonal park ranger, and later served as the head of congressional affairs for the national park service, a native of wyoming, rob brings 45 years of experience to this position. having also worked on capitol hill and in governor affairs in the private sector. ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming my friend, the assistant secretary of the interior for fish and wildlife and parks, rob wallace. [applause] rob: good morning, everybody. as david said, i grew up in wyoming and we used to think it was cold there. [laughter] rob: distinguished guests and ladies and gentlemen, good morning. on behalf of interior secretary david bernhardt, i'm honored to join all of you at the martin luther king jr. memorial as we mark the 91st anniversary of his birth. the national park service is proud to work with the memorial foundation and harry johnson in caring for this special memorial. our shared mission ensures the sacrifices of dr. king will never be forgotten. i want to thank the national park service, staff who maintains this magnificent memorial, and help tell the story of this incredible man. i'm also grateful for our volunteers who help educate the more than 3.5 million visitors who come to the memorial each year. our ceremony this morning is not the only place where people are remembering dr. king. today, thousands of americans will visit 501 auburn avenue in atlanta to stand in the victorian home where dr. king was born and where he lived for the next 12 years. there, they will learn about family, diligence, and perseverance in the face of segregation and the days of jim crow laws. others will visit ebenezer baptist church, two blocks from his birth home, and where dr. king would return to serve as a pastor with his father, to preach about love, equality, and nonviolence. visitors at the church will see where dr. king learned about christian love and tolerance. still others will join in alabama to walk across the bridge. they will retrace the steps of dr. king and thousands of others on march 21, 1965, the start of the 54 mile march from selma to montgomery for voting rights. and here are the national mall, people are standing in front of the lincoln memorial on the spot where dr. king moved millions of hearts and minds during the 19 63 march on washington. these sites are more national park system, these places and many others related to the civil rights movement and cared for by the national park service tell the american story in rich, immersive experiences that no textbook can equal. they allow us all to be eyewitnesses to history. they give us an opportunity to walk the very ground where people made history and changed america. as the nation storyteller, the national park service is proud to be a custodian of this memorial and the other sites associated with dr. martin luther king. we are privileged to share his stories and those of his fellow foot soldiers of the movement. we are honored to teach how the america we know today and the ever evolving process of creating a more perfect union were shaped by these actions. thank you. [applause] dominique: thank you very much. as we continue to move along in celebration this morning, i went to introduce from the city of washington, d.c., please welcome on behalf of the mayor of washington, d.c., mary bowser, secretary of the city, kimberly bassett. please give her a warm welcome as we try to stay warm out here. hi, kimberly. come on over here. don't leave me out here now. kimberly: hello, on behalf of mayor bowser. thank you so much for being here. this is a glorious day. we are happy to be part of this. i would like to thank the martin luther king memorial foundation and harry johnson. he is amazing. we continue to fight. we are out here. we will have a march today. at 11:00 on mlk boulevard. when you leave here, come and join us. thank you very much. god bless you. [applause] dominique: thank you, kimberly. to introduce our next speaker for remarks, please welcome the newly appointed director of the u.s. fish and wildlife service, a friend of the memorial foundation since she came to the administration as deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife. please give her a very warm welcome this morning as she makes her way to the podium. good morning. [applause] >> thank you, terry, are inviting me here today. for not only a solemn occasion, but to a celebration of the birth and life of dr. martin luther king jr. it is an honor for me to be here with the king family. thank you all for allowing me to share this day with you. it is good to see my boss, assistant secretary rob wallace. we are all here as part of the legacy of dr. martin luther king jr. we all have different stories to tell. about the legacy that dr. king built for us. as a proud black woman, appointed by president trump to serve his administration, i praise the lord every day for dr. king and his legacy that has paved the way for me. the legacy built by dr. king affects all of us. black and white, brown, red, yellow, it was and it is a huge achievement. and it did not come easy. there were many sacrifices that were made. and nobody knows or feels those sacrifices more than his family. martin luther king jr. iii lost his daddy when he was 10 years old as part of that legacy. his father paved the ultimate price and sacrifice for us to live his legacy. martin luther king iii has had to carry that ultimate price his whole life. martin luther king iii has a sacrament -- has carried that sacrifice well. and because of him, his father's legacy does not just survive, but it has thrived and has made america better for it. martin luther king iii is working hard every day to expand that legacy his father built. but he will not stop until we come until all of us, every single one of us, realizes the dream. and so, when dr. martin luther king iii comes up, he will have that introduction. thank you. [applause] dominique: thank you. as he is making his way and will be joining us momentarily, i want to thank everyone for coming out today. i hope you feel inspired. what an awesome celebration it has been. definitely one i know i will not forget and will be sure to share on my afternoon drive show this afternoon. and on behalf of radio one, thank you for allowing me to be here today. the stories i've heard are stories every generation should now, believe, and execute throughout their lives. i know one of my favorite quotes, the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. and as we reflect for today and the rest of today, please remember that you can do, if you can't do big things, you can do small things in a great way, and always take the chance, take your time to make the best decision, because it helps all of us as a community, as a society. so i want everyone to get ready to warm yourselves up and prepare -- as we prepare for the stone of hope in silence. i know the cameramen have to make their way but right now we are going to have another selection from this amazing choir. welcome. ♪ [♪ singing ♪] ♪ >> can you clap your hands? ♪ >> ♪ freedom is coming my brother we pray lord my brother oh yeah my lord my brother my brother right on one more time fight on ♪ [applause] dominique: yeah, you want to make that announcement? >> i'm sorry. now we are going to begin the procession down to the foot of the stone of hope for the wreathlaying. and i would like the program participants, our board members, and the dignitaries together in -- to gather in front of the mountain of the stair as the procession proceeds. and everyone else, follow behind. thank you. thank once, let us again our program participants, pastor, all ofhe our guest speakers, give them a round of applause. [applause] thank you all so much for coming out. let's have a moment of silence. i'm going to ask the pastor to give a blessing. let's have a moment of silence. come today at the conclusion of this memorial celebration of dr. martin luther king jr. we ask to say thank you, and we still believe we will be able to get out of the mountains of despair to the stone of hope and we shall overcome one day. in jesus' name in all the prophets, amen. >> ♪ we shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome, some day oh, deep in my heart, i do believe we shall overcome, some day we'll walk hand in hand, we'll walk hand in hand, we'll walk hand in hand, some day oh, deep in my heart, i do believe, we shall overcome, some day we shall all be free, we shall all be free, we shall all be free, some day oh, deep in my heart, i do believe we shall overcome, some day we are not afraid, we are not afraid, we are not afraid, today oh, deep in my heart, i do believe we shall overcome, some day we are not alone, we are not alone, alone, some day oh, deep in my heart, i do believe we shall overcome, some day world around, the whole wide world around, around,e wide world some day oh, deep in my heart, i do believe we shall overcome, some day ♪ [applause] >> thank you all so much. pictures. 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