There are two statues of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Newark, New Jersey. Both are located on the Essex County Courthouse Complex at its newest addition, the Martin Luther King Justice Building. [1]
Artist | Thomas Jay Warren |
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Year | Official opening October 14, 2015 |
Type | Bronze figure atop granite pedestal |
Dimensions | 8 ft (2.4 m) (height) |
Location | Essex County Courthouse Newark, New Jersey |
The 2015 statue by Thomas Jay Warren was unveiled on the plaza near the Essex County Hall of Records, on October 14, 2015. [2] [3] [4] The 8 feet (2.4 m) tall bronze statue stands on a 3 feet (0.91 m) tall granite pedestal depicts King with his hands outstretched and his head tilted slightly downward so visitors onlookers can see his face. The pedestal is engraved with "I Have a Dream", which references King's famous speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It notes his Nobel Peace Prize and is engraved with words ascribed to King: Hope, Equality, Peace, Courage, Love and Respect. An accompanying plaque reads:
"At a time in American history, when the need for change was evident, Martin Luther King, Jr., a young Georgia minister, rose to lead a nationwide civil rights movement. He guided a bus boycott that ended segregated seating, supported integrated groups of 'Freedom Riders' who shattered old, southern 'Jim Crow' laws, assisted young people conducting 'sit-ins' at segregated lunch counters, and led hundreds of peaceful protest marches. Brilliant, dignified, persuasive and eloquent, he always stressed non-violence, even in the face of adversity. He inspired thousands of people, of all colors, races and religions, to join hands, and more than 200,000 supporters gathered in Washington, DC, for his iconic 'I have a dream…' oration. As President of the Southern Christian Leadership Council, he brought attention to sources of national discrimination, helping to gain passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, forever changing the course of American history. Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work, on this very day, 50 years ago. Assassinated in 1968, he is one of the most respected and revered of all Human Rights activists."
"I show him at a younger age than you mostly see him," the sculptor said. "I tried to capture him at the time he visited Newark." [5] Warren, based in Oregon, also created statues of Rosa Park, Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., Governor Brendan Byrne and Congressman Donald M. Payne at the Essex County Government Complex and the statue of Althea Gibson in Branch Brook Park.
The statue was relocated to the jurors entrance of the new courthouse building.
Artist | Thomas Jay Warren |
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Year | Official opening June 19, 2021 |
Type | Bronze figure atop granite pedestal |
Dimensions | 22 ft (6.7 m) (height) |
Location | Essex County Courthouse Newark, New Jersey |
The 2021 statue in front of the new justice building was also created by Jay Warren. [1] The 22 feet (6.7 m) bronze sculpture is placed on an 8 feet (2.4 m) granite pedestal. It depicts King with his right arm gesturing, his hand is outstretched, and he is holding papers that signify victories in the Civil Rights movement – the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The engraving quotes King: "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. But I know somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars. I have decided to stick with love, hate is too great a burden to bear. Life's most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?".
The interior lobby of the building serves is monument to the life and legacy of King. It includes a large mural with photographs of and quotes by King and a large-screen television which plays a video of him. Both works were created by Terri Haskins of Hackensack. Also in the lobby is a large bronze bust, also created by Warren, of Congressman and civil rights advocate John Lewis of Georgia, a close friend and associate of Dr. King. [6]
The original statue Behold , created by Patrick Morelli, is located at Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta. A second casting was commissioned by the New Jersey Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission, a government agency within the New Jersey Department of State. It was placed at Essex County College in Newark and dedicated in a ceremony with Mayor Sharpe James in 1990. [7] [8] [9]
University Heights is a neighborhood in Newark in Essex County, New Jersey. It is so named because of the four academic institutions located within its boundaries: Rutgers University, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), New Jersey Medical School (Rutgers) and Essex County College. In total, the schools enroll approximately 32,000 degree-seeking students.
The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park covers about 35 acres (0.14 km2) and includes several sites in Atlanta, Georgia related to the life and work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Within the park is his boyhood home, and Ebenezer Baptist Church — the church where King was baptized and both he and his father, Martin Luther King Sr., were pastors — as well as, the grave site of King, Jr., and his wife, civil rights activist Coretta Scott King.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is a national memorial located in West Potomac Park next to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It covers four acres (1.6 ha) and includes the Stone of Hope, a granite statue of Civil Rights Movement leader Martin Luther King Jr. carved by sculptor Lei Yixin. The inspiration for the memorial design is a line from King's "I Have a Dream" speech: "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." The memorial opened to the public on August 22, 2011, after more than two decades of planning, fund-raising, and construction.
"I Have a Dream" is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist and Baptist minister Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. In the speech, King called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the United States. Delivered to over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the speech was one of the most famous moments of the civil rights movement and among the most iconic speeches in American history.
Martin Luther King Drive station is a station of the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail in the Jackson Hill neighborhood of Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey. Located on the east side of Martin Luther King Drive near the intersection with Virginia Avenue, the station is a two side platform, two track structure on the West Side Avenue branch of the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail. Train service through Martin Luther King Drive station goes from West Side Avenue in Jersey City to the Tonnelle Avenue station in North Bergen. The station is accessible for those with disabilities as part of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 with ramps to the train-level platform. Martin Luther King Drive station opened on April 15, 2000 along with the rest of the West Side Avenue branch as part of the original operating segment.
Queen of Angels Church was a historic Black Catholic church on Belmont Avenue at Morton Street in Newark, New Jersey. It was the first Catholic parish for African Americans in the Archdiocese of Newark.
The Essex County Veterans Courthouse is located in Newark, New Jersey, United States. It was built in 1904 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 1975.
The Krueger-Scott Mansion is located in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The mansion was built on the corner of Court and High Street in 1888 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 9, 1972. As of 2023, it has been completely restored and elaborately landscaped as part of an artisanal workspace project.
Jackson Hill is a neighborhood in the Bergen-Lafayette and Greenville sections of Jersey City, New Jersey. It is part of the city's Ward F. The neighborhood is situated on Bergen Hill which also lends its name to the Bergen Hill Historic District just north of Communipaw Avenue.
Alpha Man: The Brotherhood of MLK is a television documentary film that reveals the story of Martin Luther King Jr.’s fraternity days as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Produced by Rainforest Films, the half-hour special originally aired August 28, 2011 on BET. The documentary special was scheduled to debut on the same day as the much-anticipated official dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial statue on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The statue's dedication, which was to coincide with the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington and King’s "Dream" speech, was postponed until October 16, 2011, due to Hurricane Irene.
The history of the 1954 to 1968 American civil rights movement has been depicted and documented in film, song, theater, television, and the visual arts. These presentations add to and maintain cultural awareness and understanding of the goals, tactics, and accomplishments of the people who organized and participated in this nonviolent movement.
Edith Mae Savage-Jennings was an American civil rights leader from New Jersey. She was known for her association with civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
The Martin Luther King Jr. statue is a public monument of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta, Georgia. The statue, designed by Martin Dawe, was unveiled in 2017 and stands on the grounds of the Georgia State Capitol, overlooking Liberty Plaza.
Behold is a statue designed by sculptor Patrick Morelli. Dedicated in 1990 by Coretta Scott King, the statue is located in front of Ebenezer Baptist Church, in the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park.
Hope Moving Forward is a public monument in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Dedicated in 2021, the monument consists of a bronze statue of Martin Luther King Jr. designed by Basil Watson atop a pedestal. It is located at the intersection of Northside Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is a memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. at the Martin Luther King Drive station of the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail in the Jackson Hill section of Jersey City, New Jersey.
Statue of Martin Luther King or Martin Luther King statue or similar, may refer to:
The Embrace is a bronze sculpture by Hank Willis Thomas, installed on Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, in December 2022. The artwork commemorates Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, and depicts four intertwined arms, representing the hug they shared after he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. The work was created by welding together about 609 smaller pieces. The sculpture has received largely negative responses from critics and the public.