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This month marks the 10th anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Memorials are built to honor a person or an event.

King was an important U.S. leader. He fought for equal rights. During the 1950s and 1960s, Black people did not have the same rights as White people in many places. For example, they couldn’t go to the same schools, hospitals, or restaurants. King led marches and made speeches to help change that.

The memorial is in Washington, D.C. It features a 30-foot-tall statue of King. There are also stone walls that include quotes from King’s speeches.