While the art is supposed to depict “the arms, shoulders and hands” of Dr. King and his wife Coretta Scott King “hugging after Martin received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964,” it reminded some people of something less noble.
A new sculpture dedicated to Civil Rights Activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sparked controversy when its unveiling garnered a mixed response from social media users, some of whom pointed out that the public artwork has a nearly-phallic shape.
"The Embrace," a statue commissioned in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, was revealed in the Boston Common park to a crowd of onlookers and online viewers Friday morning. While the art is supposed to depict "the arms, shoulders and hands" of Dr. King and his wife Coretta Scott King "hugging after Martin received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964," it reminded some people of something less noble.
"No comment," Ian Miles Cheong wrote, alongside footage of the unveiling.
"Boston really put a bronze statue of someone holding a giant c_ck downtown and have the nerve to say its MLK and his wife embracing!! SMH," another Twitter user wrote.
Actor J. Lee of Hulu's The Orville joked about how he would rather endure segregation "than pretend that whatever the hell this is is honorable."
Human Events' Jack Posobiec said "The Embrace" is actually a good litmus test.
"That Boston MLK 'statue' is a good litmus test of who is willing to call out absurdity and who is too afraid of being called raysiss," he wrote.
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1614312640083333121
NBC10 Boston host Kwani A. Lunis provided a side-by-side of the reference photo and the sculpture, showing the intended depiction of a hug between the married Civil Rights activists.
https://twitter.com/KwaniALunis/status/1612457903440662529
"The Embrace" was created by the aptly-named organization, Embrace Boston, which works "at the intersection of arts and culture, community, and research to dismantle structural racism," according to their website.
"We see a radically inclusive and equitable Boston where everyone belongs and Black people prosper, grounded in joy, love, and well-being," the group stated.
"There is no angle from which this statue looks good. No angle from which it does not give a weirdly sexual impression. The intended subject matter: the sweet embrace photo, is a lie. MLK cheated on Coretta multiple times. The entirety of this art is intentionally ugly and false," Abby Libby wrote.
https://twitter.com/abbythelibb_/status/1614312529945059333?s=20&t=6UWhD1yEbt5Bm2FbkmG8DQ
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