MLK’s ‘The Embrace’ Statue Unveiled In Boston And People Have Thoughts: ‘Hideous And Depressing’

A statue to honor Martin Luther King Jr. After it was revealed in Boston on Saturday, Coretta Scott King, his wife, received mixed online reactions.

The bronze statue of 22 feet tall, nicknamed “The Embrace,” The camera was set up to capture a hug Dr. King shared after he received the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. CBS News reported.

According to the report, the statue cost $10M and was designed by Hank Willis Thomas as well as MASS Design Group. It can be found in Freedom Plaza on the Boston Common.

Imari Paris Jeffries is the executive director of Embrace Boston. He said that he cried the first time he saw the statue.

“And someone said to me, before I saw it for the first time, ‘Imagine when you see it, you’re going to cry,’” Jeffries said. “And I said, ‘I’ve seen monuments before. I’m not going to cry when I see a monument.’ And I actually did.”

“And despite the fact that we’re in the middle of the city, it is a quiet place. And so it’s a place of both contemplation and joy simultaneously,” He said. “And so I think it’s one of America’s most miraculous pieces of public art.”

BREAKING “The Embrace” The Boston Common has unveiled a plaque honoring Martin Luther King Jr., and Coretta Scott King #7news #MLKWeekend #MLKDay2023 pic.twitter.com/IckphP15FL

— Amaka Ubaka (@AmakaUbakaTV) January 13, 2023

While some liked the statue, many did not — especially from certain angles.

“There’s a sculptor somewhere giggling uncontrollably,” political commentator T. Beckett Adams tweeted. “Yes, yes, yes I know what you all think it looks like, you sickos and degenerates.”

Attorney Allan Richarz tweeted, “Is it really that hard to get a decent MLK statue?”

“This is a terrible sculpture,” content creator Jay D. Cartere tweeted. “It looks like someone grabbing a thigh [a] very different kind of ‘loving embrace.’”

“Yeah I thought it was fake at first,” political commentator Mike Cernovich responded. “Like a racist wanted to mock MLK.”

Reporter Jim Stinson tweeted, “Boston has some of the least impressive outdoor art. They could have done much better for the memory of MLK, who got his doctorate from BU.”

“Should have been lovely & inspiring—instead it’s hideous and depressing,” said Christina Sommers, Senior Fellow, AEI.

Former Pentagon official Amber Smith tweeted, “This is a horrible sculpture.”

“For the record, the big unveiling yesterday was only for VIPs and political hacks,” radio host Gerry Callahan tweeted. “Cops told us the public doesn’t get to see this monstrosity until February. Until then, the fences stay up.”

NYT best-selling author Morgan Jerkins tweeted, “This looks like….I’m tryna be respectful here but you’re making it hard.”

I’m not even going to say what I thought it was. pic.twitter.com/bitY40U6qc

— Maggie 🐳 (@The_Vent_Line) January 14, 2023