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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - For the first time in history, there is now a life-size statue of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Montgomery.

The Equal Justice Initiative unveiled the statue at the Legacy Plaza near the museum, just feet away from the Rosa Parks statue.

The sculptor, Atlanta-based Basil Watson, said he drew inspiration from King’s speeches, saying there was a recurring theme of “hope and love.”

“We can’t build by destroying,” said Watson. “We have to build by building. We have to look at the positives and have a positive outlook on where we’re going and where we’re coming from.”

“He changed our nation and reshaped the American landscape,” said EJI Executive Director Bryan Stevenson.

The late civil rights icon’s daughter, Bernice King, attended Friday’s unveiling. She said she hopes his statue invokes reflection and introspection.

“We need to heighten that in our nation in order to move us toward a more just, humane and equitable and peaceful world for all of God’s people,” King said.

In the past, there have been attempts to erect a life-size statue, but those failed. Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church later unveiled a bust of their former reverend, which is still on display inside the church.

The Montgomery City Council also failed to pass a proposal to name a street after the late civil rights leader.

EJI plans to add another statue to the Legacy Plaza in a few months of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.

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