Atlanta honors civil rights heroes with bronze sculptures

The City of Atlanta has adorned Martin Luther King Jr. Drive with four life-size bronze sculptures of Civil Rights champions Dr. Rita Samuels, Dorothy Bolden, Rev. Hosea Williams and W.A. Scott.

The sculptures sit on benches in front Mozley Park just east of where Martin Luther King Jr. Drive intersects with Interstate I-20.

The pieces are the latest of seven public art commissioned for the City’s $3.7 million MLK Innovation Corridor Project and celebrate Atlanta’s legacy in the Civil Rights movement, according to a press release issued on Friday.

“Designated spaces and art installations such as these provide a permanent space to reflect on the efforts of those who came before us, and what we can do to further the ongoing work of ensuring equality and dignity for all,” said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

ExploreFrom January 2021: Atlanta installs new Martin Luther King Jr. statue

Learn more about Dr. Rita Samuels, a civil rights hero who became a White House consulstant ; Dorothy Bolden, who helped black domestic workers harness political power; Rev. Hosea Williams, a state legislator and former aide to Martin Luther King Jr.; and W.A. Scott, who founded the Atlanta Daily World newspaper.

ExploreIt was a refuge for civil rights leaders. Now it’s protected as a landmark in Atlanta

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