Essex County Pays Tribute To MLK With New Statue

Essex County officials paid tribute to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. last week, unveiling an eight-foot tall bronze statue of the late civil rights leader in Newark.

Looking out on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, the statue stands on a three-foot tall granite pedestal and depicts King with outstretched arms and a slightly downward-tilted head so visitors to the statue can see his face.

The granite pedestal is engraved with “I have a dream” (referencing King’s famous speech during the March on Washington), notes his Nobel Peace Prize and inscribed with a series of words that describe Dr. King: Hope, Equality, Peace, Courage, Love and Respect.

An accompanying plaque on the statue 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.”

The statue was created by Jay Warren, an artist from Oregon who also has created the Rosa Park Statue, Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. Statue, Governor Brendan Byrne Statue and Congressman Donald M. Payne Statue at the Essex County Government Complex and the Althea Gibson Statue in Essex County Branch Brook Park.

According to city officials, the statue was funded with donations from Education and Health Centers of American, Inc., Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Barnabas Health, Ten Park Place Associates, 765 Management LLC, PSEG Foundation and New Jersey Shares, Inc./Verizon.

Photo courtesy of Glen Frieson