The city of Atlanta has installed a new statue honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Located at the intersection of Northside Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive near Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the bronze sculpture is titled “Hope Moving Forward.” It was unveiled as part of the city’s MLK Innovation Corridor Project and is the first of seven art installations commissioned by the city to honor the civil rights leader.
“This sculpture is a fitting and timely tribute to Atlanta’s son, Dr. King,” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a statement, issued ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “Atlanta is the cradle of the civil rights movement and is the birth home and final resting place of Dr. King. Erecting this sculpture underscores our administration’s commitment to creating our vision of One Atlanta while celebrating Dr. King’s dream of a beloved community.”
The base of the statue features a quote from King: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”
The statue was created by Jamaican-born sculptor Basil Watson. It was selected following a nationwide call for artist submissions in 2018.
Atlantans can also find statues of King at the Georgia Capitol and the campus of Morehouse College. And at the intersection of Boulevard and Freedom Parkway, a large plate steel sculpture titled “Homage to King” was installed before the 1996 Olympics.
Credit: Atlanta Mayor's Office
Credit: Atlanta Mayor's Office
About the Author
