Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Collection: Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD)
1981
Bronze on brick pedestal
Location:
Bricker Park, Eric Kaposta, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1981
4548 Bricker Street
Houston, TX 77051
About the Artwork:
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1981)
by Eric Kaposta
A bust is a three-dimensional sculpture of a head and neck of a person, often made to honor their accomplishments. This bronze bust by Houston sculptor Eric Kaposta shows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a minister’s robe as he stares forward with conviction. At his stomach are three items: a "Holy Bible," handcuffs, and a medallion with three figures. Each item may represent different aspects of King’s life, such as being arrested numerous times for his activism, his organizing of Christian churches for civil rights efforts, and his many awards and recognitions. An American civil rights activist and Baptist minister who was a leader of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968, King advanced civil rights in the US through nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience against Jim Crow laws. His efforts contributed to the passage of achieved pivotal legislative gains in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. He received the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize but was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis, TN. A plaque on the base of the sculpture is a quote from his last sermon on February 4, 1968 titled, ‘‘The Drum Major Instinct,’’ from the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1981)
por Eric Kaposta
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1981)
by Eric Kaposta
A bust is a three-dimensional sculpture of a head and neck of a person, often made to honor their accomplishments. This bronze bust by Houston sculptor Eric Kaposta shows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a minister’s robe as he stares forward with conviction. At his stomach are three items: a "Holy Bible," handcuffs, and a medallion with three figures. Each item may represent different aspects of King’s life, such as being arrested numerous times for his activism, his organizing of Christian churches for civil rights efforts, and his many awards and recognitions. An American civil rights activist and Baptist minister who was a leader of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968, King advanced civil rights in the US through nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience against Jim Crow laws. His efforts contributed to the passage of achieved pivotal legislative gains in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. He received the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize but was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis, TN. A plaque on the base of the sculpture is a quote from his last sermon on February 4, 1968 titled, ‘‘The Drum Major Instinct,’’ from the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1981)
por Eric Kaposta
Un busto es una escultura tridimensional que representa la cabeza y el cuello de una persona, a menudo realizada para honrar sus logros. Este busto de bronce, obra del escultor de Houston Eric Kaposta, muestra al Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. con una robe ministre, mirando al frente con determinación. Sobre su estómago se encuentran tres objetos: una "Santa Biblia," unas esposas, y un medallón con tres figuras. Cada objeto podría representar diferentes aspectos de la vida de King, como sus numerosos arrestos por su activismo, su labor organizando iglesias cristianas para la lucha por los derechos civiles, y los muchos premios y reconocimientos que recibió. Martin Luther King Jr., activista estadounidense por los derechos civiles y ministro bautista, fue un líder del movimiento por los derechos civiles desde 1955 hasta su asesinato en 1968. King impulsó los derechos civiles en los Estados Unidos a través de la resistencia no violenta y la desobediencia civil contra las leyes de segregación racial. Sus esfuerzos contribuyeron a la aprobación de importantes leyes en materia de derechos civiles, como la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, la Ley de Derecho al Voto de 1965, y la Ley de Vivienda Justa de 1968. Recibió el Premio Nobel de la Paz en 1964, pero fue asesinado en 1968 en Memphis, Tennessee. Una placa en la base de la escultura contiene una cita de su último sermón que dio el 4 de febrero de 1968, titulado “El instinto del director de banda,” desde el púlpito de la Iglesia Bautista Ebenezer.