Statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. unveiled in downtown Montgomery
A statue of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has been unveiled in downtown Montgomery. It’s the first full-sized statue of him in the city.
The statue was unveiled at a ceremony at the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Plaza, which is across from the Legacy Museum.
In attendance was Dr. Bernice A. King, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s daughter and CEO of The King Center and acclaimed Atlanta-based sculptor Basil Watson, who designed the statue to King, as well as the one remembering Rosa Parks.
“I think it’s the poignant place of being tied to the Legacy Museum, Dr. Bernice King told Action 8 News. “It’s so important because obviously, the movement that my father led, what he sent it to even opening the doors for this possibility to exist, and so it means a lot to me for future generations especially.”
“It’s a prayer. I call it prayer in the wind because he is twisting, turning, facing and enduring the wind of change, the wind of the history that we have faced and in the face of that, he prays for progress,” Watson said.
“I want young people to sit in some of these chairs and see Rosa Parks on that pedestal and see Dr. King and see John Lewis and see some of the extraordinary ordinary people who push for the boycott, who got through the boycott and think, ‘Wow, they did something great to advance justice and maybe I can, too, and some time, when you are surrounded by greatness, you start to feel great yourself,” Bryan Stevenson, the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative said.
The statue joins the sculpture of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks that was unveiled in February. A sculpture of the late Georgia Congressman John Lewis, who was a native of Pike County, will be added in coming months.
Legacy Plaza is a gathering place for visitors to the Legacy Museum. The plaza currently hosts a brick sculpture honoring civil rights marchers and a mural created by local artist Kevin King.
