Statue of Dr Martin Luther King Jr by Nigel Boonham
This striking bronze statue of one of the most influential voices of recent history was commissioned in 2017 to mark 50 years since Dr King accepted his honorary degree.
The statue
Found in King’s Quad courtyard, next to King’s Hall, this stunning statue depicts Dr Martin Luther King Jr, one of the most prominent and influential leaders in the American civil rights movement.
Dr King advanced civil rights for people of colour in the United States through nonviolence and civil disobedience. He campaigned tirelessly for rights from 1955 until his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.
In 1964, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolent resistance. He was present and involved in numerous pivotal events related to human rights, racism and inequality in the US in the 1960s. Dr King also expanded his work to include opposition to all poverty and inequality, as well as the Vietnam War.
The two-metre-tall bronze sculpture was specially commissioned to mark the 50th anniversary of Dr King’s visit to Newcastle University to accept his honorary degree. It stands next to the place where the degree ceremony was held.
The statue was unveiled by US Ambassador Andrew Young, a close friend and colleague of Dr King, who accompanied him to Newcastle in 1967.
The base of the statue is encircled by bronze lettering inset into Caithness stone, featuring text taken from the civil rights leader’s powerful acceptance speech.
During this speech, Dr King spoke of the “three urgent and grave problems” facing the world: war, poverty and racism. Tragically, this was his last public address outside of the US before he was assassinated, barely six months later.
The artist
Nigel Boonham is known for his fine sculpture and portrait work. Influenced by the language and art of poet William Blake, as well as Michelangelo, Despiau and Rodin, Boonham has developed his own distinctive sculpting style.
A Fellow of the Royal Society of Sculptors, Boonham has created sculptures of many notable figures, including Jane Austen, John Donne and Princess Diana. His statue of Dr Martin Luther King Jr stands proudly on Newcastle University’s campus.
Known for delivering large-scale pieces of art, public monuments and complex installations, Boonham’s work can be found across the UK, USA, Australia and France.
