The New MLK Sculpture Has Confused Everyone

The artist Hank Willis Thomas unveiled the memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King. The sculpture at Boston Common in 1965, Freedom Plaza The plaza hosts many other local civil rights figures as well. The artist got inspiration from a photograph of Dr. King and his wife, which was taken after Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. The project started in 2017, and it took several years to complete it. The new MLK sculpture is 40 feet wide and 20 feet tall. In January 2023, the artist unveiled the project. After the unveiling of the new MLK sculpture, people shared their reactions. Some of these reactions are fully positive, but some of them include accusations.

Jack Shainman Galler

Who made the new MLK sculpture?

The American artist Hank Willis Thomas created the new MLK sculpture honoring Dr. Martin Luther King. The works of the artist are generally conceptual with popular culture, identity, and historical themes. The artist has a long career history and many awards. His latest sculpture, “The Embrace,” which is the new statue of MLK, has made him even more popular.

People’s Reactions to “The Embrace”

People on social media shared their opinions about the new MLK sculpture. Some people liked the 20-foot-tall bronze sculpture and shared their opinions about it.  But some people said that the new MLK sculpture resembled a phallus. Some members of the King family appreciated the new sculpture of MLK, who gave a speech about unequal schooling and de facto segregation in 1964 on the Common. We are sure that people’s negative opinions about the sculpture will change with time. They will learn the original moment, and they will appreciate it. Martin Luther King III stated during the unveiling ceremony that the new MLK sculpture is so important because it represents the abolitionist past and the love of his parents.

Lane Turner/Boston Globe