Behold (statue)

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.

Behold
Behold (2020)
33°45′20″N 84°22′26″W
LocationMartin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
DesignerPatrick Morelli

History

The statue was dedicated on January 11, 1990, by Coretta Scott King, the widowed wife of Martin Luther King Jr.[1] The statue was an unsolicited gift to The King Center, and initially the center had concerns over the work's artistic merit.[2] The piece is located in a small park near Ebenezer Baptist Church.[3] The statue is based on an African ritual of lifting a newborn to the skies.[4][5] It depicts an allegorical figure of Kunta Kinte lifting his newborn towards the sky. The statue is a popular spot for photographers.[2] The statue itself is made of bronze, with a granite pedestal inscribed with the phrase:[1]

Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his moral courage and nobility of spirit

Second casting

A second casting of Behold is located at Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey. The piece was commissioned by the New Jersey Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission, a government agency within the New Jersey Department of State). It was dedicated in a ceremony led by Mayor Sharpe James in 1990.[6][7][8]

See also

References
  1. "Behold Monument". National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 30, 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  2. Dwyer, Owen J.; Alderman, Derek H. (2008). Civil Rights Memorials and the Geography of Memory. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 978-1-930066-71-7 – via Google Books.
  3. Lyons, Brad; Barkhauer, Bruce (2020). America's Sacred Sites: 50 Faithful Reflections on Our National Monuments and Historic Landmarks. Chalice Press. ISBN 978-0-8272-0087-6.
  4. Gleim, Sarah (2016). 100 Things to Do in Atlanta Before You Die (2nd ed.). Reedy Press. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-68106-044-6 – via Google Books.
  5. Parker, Najja (September 2, 2020). "10 Georgia statues that celebrate African American history". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  6. "Patrick Morelli". City of Atlanta, Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs.
  7. "NJ Department of State - New Jersey Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission - Programs". www.nj.gov.
  8. "ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE". www.morelliart.com.
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