Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial (Houston)
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
The 8 foot-tall bronze statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Houston, TX.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
In 1983, BHS, under the leadership of Ovide Duncantell, a founder and executive director, started the first initiative for a memorial which would celebrate and honor the pillar in the fight for civil rights. An Oak tree was planted on the site in honor of Dr. King, and the construction of MLK statue and memorial plaza were proposed.
However, the plaza did move forward because it could not be guaranteed that the statue would not be an abstract representation. As a result, nothing happened for over the next three decades. Then in 2009, negotiations about the memorial location began began again between the City of Houston, METRO, and the Black Heritage Society. In 2012 the three parties agreed that MacGregor Park would be the a site for the construction of the plaza. Finally in May 2014, after decades of hard work, the Black Heritage Society (BHS) opened the memorial for the public.
Sources
Jones, Valerie. "At Last: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’S Spirit Comes To Houston." Dmars.com. Accessed March 21, 2015. http://www.d-mars.com/articles/last-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-s-spirit-comes-houston.