The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the Politics of Post-Racialism
This article examines the history of the design of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, dedicated in October 2011. Based on documentary records and original interviews, it uncovers new evidence about the design competition, the design's oversight by federal commissions and the selecti...
| Veröffentlicht in: | History and Memory. - Indiana University Press, 2019. - 32(2020), 2, Seite 36-77 |
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| 1. Verfasser: | |
| Format: | Online-Aufsatz |
| Sprache: | English |
| Veröffentlicht: |
2020
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| Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk: | History and Memory |
| Schlagworte: | Martin Luther King, Jr. civil rights commemoration public sculpture Washington Mall post-racialism "color-blindness" |
| Zusammenfassung: | This article examines the history of the design of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, dedicated in October 2011. Based on documentary records and original interviews, it uncovers new evidence about the design competition, the design's oversight by federal commissions and the selection of the inscriptions. The article highlights the consequences of the sponsors' preference for "universal" and "timeless" themes over King's radical critique of American society. These choices bring this memorial to a civil rights leader into line with political conservatives' advocacy of "color-blind" government action. |
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| ISSN: | 15271994 |