The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial pays homage to the late Noble Peace Prize recipient and TIMES Man of the Year, in one of the most culturally significant pieces of Washington D.C.’s landscape — National Mall.

The huge monument, carved out of beautiful white stone, is speckled throughout with some of King’s most memorable quotes (of which there are an abundance), each one allowing the visitor to better understand the genius, American and extraordinary human being that was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

At the memorial site, you’ll find a larger-than-life stone sculpture of Dr. King, staring determinedly into the infinite abyss; his legs straight and his arms crossed. Some of the memorable quotes you’ll read as you walk around the memorial’s Mountain of Despair, Stone of Hope and Inscription wall are:

“We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

“I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equaity and freedom for their spirits.”

“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.”

Whether your child is 5, 15 or 25, they’ll appreciate this stop on your itinerary, and will surely be awestruck and inspired by its powerful simplicity.