Black sculptor's MLK statue represents 'White America' butchering his legacy: WaPo columnist

Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah argued in a lengthy Twitter thread on Monday that the "grotesque" Martin Luther King Jr. statue, which was designed by a Black artist, represented "White America" undermining the civil rights activist’s legacy.

The bronze sculpture known as "The Embrace" was unveiled on the grounds of Boston Common over the weekend in preparation for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The statue, which is supposed to represent MLK Jr. hugging his wife Coretta Scott King after winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, was largely condemned as "hideous" by onlookers."  

One critic included Attiah, who penned several tweets attacking the sculpture and blaming "White America" for allowing the image to exist.

"Boston's Embrace statue perfectly represents how White America loves to butcher MLK. Cherry-picking quotes about love and non-violence. While ignoring his radicalism, anti-capitalism, his fierce critiques of white moderates. MLK- in his fullness-- is still too much for them," Attiah tweeted.

NEW MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. AND CORETTA SCOTT KING SCULPTURE CALLED ‘HIDEOUS’: ‘FIRE WHOEVER DESIGNED THAT’ 

She continued in several tweets blaming White America for "whitewashing" King’s legacy and pointing out that it was "White America" who eventually assassinated him.

Attiah wrote, "This is what happens when white America tries to grossly distort what MLK really stood for... and ultimately.. what they murdered him for. In making MLK a whitewashed symbol of love, the Embrace statue is both safe AND grotesque. Says little about the man, a lot about America."

"And. To have a dismembered statue of a Black man and woman, in a country that killed and destroyed so many Black people, will never sit right with me. MLK Jr. was also murdered by white America. It's giving –‘We are so grateful for Black people's noble sacrifice’ – energy," she concluded.

Although Attiah heavily emphasized White Americans as the reason behind the hideousness of the sculpture, some social media users pointed out that the image was actually designed by Hank Willis Thomas, a Black man.

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"The sculptor is black, but please, do go on..." Townhall.com writer Brad Slager tweeted.

The Bulwark writer Cathy Young wrote, "It was designed by a black artist, Hank Willis Thomas, but okay."

"Several people pointed out that the artist was black (or ‘Black’ as they put it). Say what you will about the Boston elites, I don't think they would have been quite so stupid as to hire a white guy to make an MLK statue," Austrian economist Robert Murphy joked.

"This is an interesting illustration of how everything is always racist. This terrible design was picked in large part because the artist, H. W. Thomas, WAS Black. Or...was it REALLY...to give white tricksters another chance to downplay the great man?!!!" Political scientist Wilfred Reilly wrote.

Additional context was added to her tweet reading "The Embrace was designed by artist Hank Willis Thomas who is Black."

Seneca Scott, a cousin of Coretta Scott King, appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Tuesday to share his displeasure of the monument. 

"I think that this is the product of the woke algorithm that has gone awry," Scott said. "It is important to acknowledge it is Martin Luther King day and nothing should detract from his radical vision." 

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Thomas was originally selected in a competition by local nonprofit Embrace Boston who originally commissioned the project ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.