It is 50 years to the day Dr Martin Luther King was awarded an honorary doctorate from Newcastle University. Tragically, the award came just a year before his assassination meaning Newcastle remains the only institution in the UK to honour his efforts. To mark the occasion of his doctorate and pay tribute to the life and legacy of Dr King, today a new artwork was unveiled on campus.
“This statue is a lasting tribute to the values that Dr King stood for and a unique record of one of the most significant moments in the University’s history. Having a statue of such an inspirational figure as Dr King on our campus will remind all visitors to the University of our commitment to social justice and the need to keep Dr King’s legacy alive.”
- Dean of Cultural Affairs, Professor Eric Cross, Newcastle University.
This striking piece by Nigel Boonham crowns the newly forged 'King's Quad,' a courtyard beside the King’s Hall, the setting for his honorary degree ceremony fifty years ago. Away from the hustle and bustle of campus life, this is a contemplative space in which you can come face-to-face with the placid but determined King. As a student who will graduate in the coming year with her own doctorate, it is emboldening to see words from MLK's address circle him as a permanent reminder of why Arts and Humanities are my chosen field, to fight Racism, Poverty and War through dialogue, to open hearts and minds. As a poet, these ethics feel woven into my practice. As a human, they feel more essential than ever.
That this new statue forms part of the route students will process upon graduation, it is clear Newcastle University is mapping a new mandate for social renewal. Filling hearts full of empathy, with this statue it seems our red brick university is pinning hope to its chest, no longer asking for but demanding change.
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