It’s been 58 years since Martin Luther King’s assassination. Artists not only documented his life but continue to honor his work and reflect his dream, legacy, and the ongoing struggle for justice. These five artworks are great works to share with your students to jump-start conversations on Martin King’s life and celebrate Martin Luther King Day.
1. The Embrace by Hank Willis Thomas: A massive bronze sculpture on Boston Common depicting four intertwined arms forming a hug, symbolizing his partnership with Coretta Scott King. Did you know Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King met in Boston? Martin was a doctoral student at Boston University, and Correta was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. Boston was also the site of some of their early activism, including the 1965 Freedom Rally, during which Martin led a march from Roxbury to Boston to protest school segregation and economic injustice.
More on the Sculpture:
YouTube Video Welcoming The Embrace Trailer, 2:12
2. Mountain Top by Romare Bearden. Bearden, a black artist, created this screenprint after King’s death, memorializing King’s speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.”
More on this artwork can be found here.
3. DC Martin Luther King Memorial, designed by the ROMA Design Group, carved by artist Lei Yixin.
The DC MLK Memorial is the first memorial on the DC Mall not dedicated to a war, president, or white man. The DC MLK Memorial features a 30-foot statue of Martin Luther King, Jr., emerging from stone. It symbolizes his emergence from the “mountain of despair” as described in his “I Have a Dream” speech. It is surrounded by a Wall of Remembrance with 14 of his powerful quotes, all set on a 4-acre site by the Tidal Basin, honoring his fight for freedom, justice, and equality.
More about this memorial:
YouTube Video: One of America’s Greatest National Monuments
Time-lapse of the creation of the DC MLK Monument, here.
4. My Dream of Martin Luther King by Faith Ringgold
Black artist and activist Faith Ringgold created this children’s book, which tells the story of Martin Luther King’s life, narrated by a child’s understanding of Dr. King’s life through an imaginary dream.
5. March on Washington Photograph by Bob Adelman
This iconic photograph of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. waving to the crowd during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, was taken by Bob Adelman. Adelman was a photographer who documented the American Civil Rights Movement for decades.
See other historic photos from Martin Luther King’s life.
