The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is a memorial dedicated to
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
in the
civic center
A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains of one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building. Recently, ...
of
Compton, California
Compton is a city located in the Gateway Cities region of southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county, and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth ci ...
. It was built in 1978 by
Gerald Gladstone
Gerald Gladstone (7 January 1929 – 7 March 2005) was a Canadian sculptor and painter.
Life
Born in 1929 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Ralph and Dora Gladstone, Gerald was the sixth of nine children. In his youth, Gladstone was ...
. The architect of the civic center, Harold L. Williams, helped design it.
The sculpture is surrounded by the Compton Courthouse, Compton Library, and Compton City Hall.
History
The memorial was originally envisioned as a fountain and was commissioned by the county and Compton's Civic Center Authority to be the central point of the civic center plaza, which had just been completed in 1977.
It was supposed to feature a spout of water shooting through the center.
Description
The simple, straight, white panels rise from different locations and meet in a circle. Gladstone wanted to convey a feel of open space in the middle of the plaza, using a
late modernism style.
The sculpture also resembles a mountain, referencing King's final speech "
".
At the center is a shallow reflecting pool, replacing the planned fountain.
References
{{Martin Luther King Jr.
1978 establishments in California
1978 sculptures
Compton, California
Memorials to Martin Luther King Jr.
Outdoor sculptures in Greater Los Angeles