George Lucas pledges $1m to Martin Luther King memorial

Star Wars Daddy George Lucas has contributed $1m to a fund created to establish a permanent memorial to Dr Martin Luther King. Lucas is also set to co-host a ‘Dream Dinner’ taking place in San Francisco on Saturday 19 November, as fundraising efforts continue.

Lucas, who has made a name for himself chronicling intergalactic struggles between good and evil, said: "The ideals and principles for which Dr King fought have never been forgotten and are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago," adding that "this memorial will ensure that his message endures for generations to come".

Colin Powell, Tommy Hilfiger and Morgan Freeman are among the other supporters of the iniative. 

The MLK National Memorial project needs to raise a further $60m to reach its $100m target. The ROMA Design Group won the design competition, which attracted more than 1,000 entries from across the globe.

The memorial is to be situated on the National Mall in Washington, D.C, adjacent to the F.D.R. Memorial and in a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.

It is hoped that work will begin next year and will be completed in 2008.