Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Statue
This bronze statue was unveiled in November 2017 to mark the 50th anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.'s visit to Newcastle University to accept an honorary degree.
Unveiling the statue
The two-metre tall bronze statue was specially commissioned to mark the 50th anniversary of his visit to accept an honorary degree and was unveiled by Ambassador Andrew Young, a close friend and colleague of Dr King’s and who accompanied him to Newcastle in 1967.
The base of the statue is encircled by bronze lettering inset into Caithness paving, featuring text taken from the civil rights leader’s powerful acceptance speech in which he spoke of the ‘three urgent and grave problems’ facing the world: war, poverty and racism. It was Dr King’s last public address outside the US before he was assassinated, barely six months later.
Artist: Nigel Boonham
Location: King's Quad courtyard next to the King’s Hall, the setting for Dr King’s honorary degree ceremony fifty years ago.