''Behold'' is a

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...

Coretta Scott King Coretta Scott King ( Scott; April 27, 1927 – January 30, 2006) was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader who was the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. from 1953 until his assassination in 1968. As an advocate for African-Ameri ...

, the statue is located in front of

Ebenezer Baptist Church Ebenezer Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with the Progressive National Baptist Convention and American Baptist Churches USA. It was the church where Dr. Martin Luther King Sr. was c ...

, in the

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 ...

History

The statue was dedicated on January 11, 1990, by

, the widowed wife of

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 ...

The statue was an unsolicited gift to

The King Center The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, commonly known as The King Center, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia. History The King Center was founded in 1968 by Coretta Scott Kin ...

, and initially the center had concerns over the work's

artistic merit Artistic merit is the artistic quality or value of any given work of art, music, film, literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art fo ...

. The piece is located in a small park near

. The statue is based on an African ritual of lifting a newborn to the skies. It depicts an allegorical figure of

Kunta Kinte Kunta Kinte ( ) is the main character from the 1976 novel '' Roots: The Saga of an American Family'' by American author Alex Haley. Kunta Kinte was based on family oral tradition accounts of one of Haley's ancestors, a Gambian man who was born ...

lifting his newborn towards the sky. The statue is a popular spot for photographers. The statue itself is made of bronze, with a granite pedestal inscribed with the phrase:

Second casting

A second casting of ''Behold'' is located 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 tha ...

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

. The piece 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 New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

). It was dedicated in a ceremony led by

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

Sharpe James Sharpe James (February 20, 1936 – May 11, 2025) was an American politician from New Jersey. A Democrat, he served as the 37th mayor of Newark from 1986 to 2006 and as a state senator for the 29th legislative district from 1999 to 2008. He ...

in 1990.

References

External links

* {{Roots 1990 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) 1990 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Georgia (U.S. state) Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Preservation District Memorials to Martin Luther King Jr. Monuments and memorials in Georgia (U.S. state) Outdoor sculptures in Georgia (U.S. state) Roots: The Saga of an American Family Statues in Atlanta Sculptures of African Americans Statues of fictional characters Sculptures of children in the United States Sculptures of men in Georgia Public art in Newark, New Jersey

History

Second casting

See also

References

External links