Created by artist Hank Willis Thomas and MASS Design Group, the memorial commemorates the legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, who met and went to school in Boston, and the civil rights leaders who worked alongside them.
It’s the first new monument to come to the Boston Common in nearly a century, and the first to honor African Americans.
The Embrace was unveiled Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, in a ceremony attended by a slate of special guests — including members of the King family, creators of the sculpture and public officials — who highlighted the Kings' legacy in Boston and beyond.
About 'The Embrace'
An early look at the project
Architect Michael Murphy, whose firm MASS Design Group designed the memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with The Embrace at its center, talked with Jared Bowen about the early vision for how the memorial came to be. This was the first time the project was previewed in November of 2020. [Read more...]
A 'Legacy of Love'
This documentary by local filmmaker Roberto Mighty reveals the romantic relationship between Coretta Scott and Martin Luther King, Jr. when they met as college students and their dreams for a life of activism and family. From the beginning, they were committed to making the country a better place. Legacy of Love uses historical dramatizations, rare historic archival footage, and images of the Kings in their early years.
