About This Piece

Each tier of the pedestal features a different theme surrounding the struggle for freedom and civil rights.

The Bottom Tier
The front bottom tier features a tribute to Dr. King’s Nobel Peace Prize, which he won in 1964. The side panels on the bottom tier feature depictions of the struggle of African Americans from 1619-1960.

The Middle Tier
Each of the four corners of the middle tier features one of four important inspirations in the life of Dr. King: Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Mahatma Gandhi and Sojourner Truth. Metaphorically, Dr. King stands on the shoulders of these four historical figures who inspired his life.

The Surrounding Panels
The sculpture of Dr. King is surrounded by four panels, each measuring six-and-a-half-feet-tall, with contemplating benches in front of the panels. The panels depict various themes of the African American struggle for freedom and civil rights throughout history, and feature engraved quotes from Dr. King’s life.

• The first panel depicts the journey from slavery to freedom.
• The second panel is dedicated to the civil rights struggle and includes key events and laws passed.
• The third panel is dedicated to justice and features a depiction of Lady Justice and engravings of Dr. King’s most important quotes.
• The fourth panel is dedicated to the present and the future. The theme, living the dream, features the presence of love, hope and truth.

“The intent of this monument is to provide a visual inspiration of Dr. King and his life,” said Mr. Dwight. “There is only so much that our history books can describe about the struggle for freedom and civil rights. A visual memorial can help define the living legacy of the history and of Dr. King.”

Ed Dwight has created thousands of sculptures including a series of bronzes dedicated to black pioneers in the American Frontier. He has also created a series of sculptures depicting the evolution of jazz music from its roots to contemporary jazz.

He has completed more than 65 large-scale commissioned installations throughout the United States and more than 6,000 other sculptures. He is represented in more than 20 galleries throughout the United States and has works on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institute.

Ed Dwight Studios, Inc. is located in Denver, Colorado.