Mixed Reviews for New MLK and Coretta Scott King Monument in Boston

A new monument dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King was unveiled in Boston, where the couple first met. “The Embrace,” a 20-foot tall, 40-foot-wide statue symbolizes the hug Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared with his wife Coretta after he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and it celebrates their time in Boston when they met as students. The statue is located at the 1965 Freedom Plaza on Boston Common, where the Civil Rights leader also gave a speech on April 23 to a crowd of 22,000 people. 

Brooklyn-based artist Hank Willis Thomas designed the enormous monument that needed multiple trucks to transport different pieces of the bronze artwork from Washington state to Boston. While some are praising the sculptor for his work, others are questioning it, especially on Twitter, where some can’t understand why the creator didn’t include their heads. 

Whereas others think it looks like one of the arms is holding onto a thigh – which comes across as being inappropriate for the select few who see it that way. Remember, art is subjective and relative to the eye of the beholder.

We just think it’s another place to honor a Civil Rights power couple that does not only deserve the respect (and all the monuments) for fighting for equal rights for not only Black or African-Americans but also for other underrepresented groups seeking equality, including the LGBTQ+ community. Period!