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Watch: Unveiling of new Martin Luther King Jr. statue

By Rosalind Bentley
Aug 28, 2017

After a three-year wait, the 8-foot-bronze statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has been unveiled at the Georgia Capitol at 10 a.m. Monday.

The sculpture is visible from at least two blocks away, along the boulevard named for the civil rights icon.

“He’s gazing slightly toward MLK Boulevard,” said sculptor Martin Dawe. “You make people smile not by the mouth but by the eyes, so I have a slight glimmer that I hope comes through.”

Sculptor Martin Dawe in front of a maquette, or model, and a wall of pictures he used to create the likeness of Martin Luther King Jr. in his studio. The statue will be unveiled on the grounds of the state Capitol Monday. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM

Credit: Hyosub Shin

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Credit: Hyosub Shin

Dawe said the statue’s placement as well as the timing of the dedication raised the stakes for him.

To find out why and  to read how Dawe used video to perfect King's likeness, click here.

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ExploreAug. 28, the date of King’s statue dedication, has poignant meaning in Civil Rights history
ExploreHow lifelike is the new Martin Luther King Jr. statue?
ExploreShared space, shared history: What Georgia’s governor might say
ExplorePhotos: Statues of MLK around the nation (and beyond)

About the Author

Rosalind Bentley is an award-winning feature writer focusing on culture, arts and sometimes food, as they are expressed and experienced in Atlanta. She is a two-time James Beard Award finalist and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

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