Dr. King in D.C.

In November 2015, as part of the design process for the modernization of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, the Library hosted a community forum entitled "Dr. King in D.C. -- A Community Conversation." The event included a panel discussion with Dr. Howard Dodson, Director Emeritus of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Charneice Fox-Richardson, an award-winning screenwriter, playwright, poet and director of film and theater and Kerrie Cotten Williams, Special Collections manager for DC Public Library. The panel was moderated by Michael Schaffer, editor of Washingtonian Magazine.

The panel explored questions about how best to honor the legacy of Dr. King, including:

• If Dr. King were alive today, what would his hopes and aspirations for this project be?
• What unique role do public libraries have in carrying out his legacy?
• What library programs and services would best further Dr. King's legacy for the residents of D.C.? 

The comments from the panelists and the public are helping inform both the design and the types of programs that the Library develops for the new library.

Learn more about plans to renovate the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.