WTS-Boston celebrates the unveiling of the The Embrace sculpture on Boston Common, which honors the activism, love, and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Coretta Scott King.

In 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent activism for civil rights. Four months after receiving this award, he led 22,000 Boston residents in a march from Roxbury to Boston Commons where he delivered a 25-minute speech. Dr. King proclaimed, “Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy. Now is the time to make brotherhood a reality. Now is the time.”

On January 13, 2023, members of the community gathered to celebrate the memorialization of the Kings’ legacy with the newest addition to Boston Commons – The Embrace sculpture. The art installation captures a tender moment between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, fellow activist, Coretta Scott King after winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

Brooklyn based artist Hank Willis Thomas worked in collaboration with The City of Boston, Embrace Boston and MASS Design Group to bring this moment to life in a 20-foot-tall monument. When discussing the Kings’ embrace, Thomas said “his arms are wrapped around her but also his weight is on her… to see her so gracefully and lovingly carrying that weight, it was a metaphor for what she was able to do throughout a huge portion of my life.” The monument honors the love and collective civil rights legacy of the Kings.

The Embrace stands in the 1965 Freedom Plaza, a memorial that honors 69 local civil rights leaders active during 1950-1970. Utilizing The Embrace digital experience, observers can learn more about Boston's history in the civil rights movement and the outstanding contribution of the Kings, while exploring the monument and the 1965 Freedom Plaza beneath it.

Learn more about The Embrace here.

Image Courtesy: https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/01/12/a-representation-of-vulnerability-…