Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Essex County Courthouse Complex at its newest addition, the Martin Luther King Justice Building.
2015 statue
The 2015 statue by Thomas Jay Warren was unveiled on the plaza near the Essex County Hall of Records, on October 14, 2015. The tall bronze statue stands on a 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
"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 ...
", which references King's famous speech during the
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, also known as simply the March on Washington or The Great March on Washington, was held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic righ ...
. 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." 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
Branch Brook Park is a county park of Essex County, New Jersey. It is located in the North Ward of Newark, between the neighborhoods of Forest Hill and Roseville. A portion of the park is also located within the Township of Belleville. At , B ...
.
The statue was relocated to the jurors entrance of the new courthouse building.
2021 statue
The 2021 statue in front of the new justice building was also created by Jay Warren. The bronze scuplpture is placed on an 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
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and United States labor law, labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on Race (human categorization), race, Person of color, color, religion, sex, and nationa ...
and the
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights movement ...
. 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
John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...
of Georgia, a close friend and associate of Dr. King.
''Behold''
The original statue ''
Behold
Behold is an American brand of furniture polish produced by Nakoma Products, LLC. Behold furniture polish and Endust dusting aid were previously produced by Sara Lee. When Drackett was sold to S. C. Johnson & Son in 1992, these two products, End ...
'', created by Patrick Morelli, is located at
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park
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 h ...
in Atlanta. A second
casting
Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a ''casting'', which is ejected ...
was commissioned by the New Jersey Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission, a government agency within the
New Jersey Department of State
The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as we ...
. It was placed at
Essex County College
Essex County College (ECC) is a public community college in Essex County, New Jersey, United States.
History
In August 1966, the Essex County Board of Freeholders approved the creation of Essex County College and in September 1968, more than a ...
in Newark and dedicated in a ceremony with
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
Sharpe James
Sharpe James (born February 20, 1936) is an American Democratic politician from New Jersey, who served as State Senator for the 29th Legislative District and was 37th Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. James was the second African American Mayor of N ...
in 1990.
See also
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List of public art in Newark, New Jersey
This is a list of public art in Newark, New Jersey, in the United States. This list applies only to works of public art on permanent display in an outdoor public space and does not include artworks in museums. Public art may include sculptures ...
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Memorials to Martin Luther King Jr.
This is a list of memorials to Martin Luther King Jr.
United States
There are numerous memorials to King in the United States, including:
Memorial sites
* In 1980, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated King's boyhood home in Atlant ...
*
List of streets named after Martin Luther King Jr.
Streets named after Martin Luther King Jr. can be found in many cities of the United States and in nearly every major metropolis. There are also a number of other countries that have honored Martin Luther King Jr., including Italy and Israel. T ...
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial (Jersey City)
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.
The work — a bust and accompanyi ...
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Civil rights movement in popular culture
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, tact ...