'EMBRACE' Deserves Our Gaze, Not Our Critical Observation
Image: © 2023 Miss Ari Photography
Boston - The reveal of the newest monument dedicated to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr comes with great criticism.
Why not include the heads of Dr. King and Mrs. King?
It looks odd.
There were so many better images to use.
Of course, the perception of art is both objective and subjective. Any public display comes with criticism. It is my sincere belief, however, that this particular monument speaks volumes to the meaning of “Embrace.”
As great as Dr. King was, and as significant as Coretta Scott King was to the Civil Rights Movement, there are few tributes that memorialize the significance of their union.
On Thursday, January 26, 2023 - I stood at the feet of Embrace. I saw three hands - two left hands adorned with wedding bands. One slender hand flowed into a wrist, with a pearl bracelet affixed perfectly. The strong right arm covered the entire moment tightly.
It was an “embrace” captured beautifully. I didn’t need faces to complete this moment. There was a sense of “I’ve got you covered” and “I know you have me covered forever.”
As I stood atop the strategically placed names of the many individuals who marched with Dr. King in Boston, I looked up and was able to behold a significant moment in history. Embrace exudes an incredible sense of courage, love, strength and vulnerability. It is needed.
People stood all around me - some in tears, others too invigorated by the moment to aim their cameras and phones in the direction of the monument.
The “embrace” between Dr. King and Mrs. King existed long before our opinions. Embrace is underserving of critical observation, but instead worthy of our gaze.
