 The statue in 2023 | |
 Interactive map ofHope Moving Forward | |
| Location | Northside Drive,Atlanta,Georgia,United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°45′17″N84°24′15″W / 33.754593°N 84.404168°W /33.754593; -84.404168 |
| Designer | Basil Watson |
| Type | Statue |
| Material | Bronze |
| Height | 18 feet (5.5 m) |
| Dedicated to | Martin Luther King Jr. |
Hope Moving Forward is a publicmonument inAtlanta,Georgia,United States. Dedicated in 2021, the monument consists of a bronzestatue ofMartin Luther King Jr. designed byBasil Watson atop apedestal. It is located at the intersection ofNorthside Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
The statue wasdedicated in a small ceremony that featuredAtlanta MayorKeisha Lance Bottoms.[1][2] It was designed byJamaican sculptorBasil Watson, whose design was selected from among 80 submissions by sculptors.[1][3] The statue is the second monument toMartin Luther King Jr. unveiled in Atlanta in the past four years, with thestatue of King at the Georgia State Capitol unveiled in 2017.[2] According toThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution, this statue is the first in a series of seven monuments commissioned by thegovernment of Atlanta in honor of King.[4] A month afterHope Moving Forward was dedicated, the city unveiled additional bronze statues of civil rights activists along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, includingDorothy Lee Bolden,Rita Jackson Samuels,W. A. Scott, andHosea Williams.[4]
The monument consists of a statue of King measuring 12 feet (3.7 m) tall atop a pedestal measuring 6 feet (1.8 m) tall.[3] The statue, which is made of bronze, depicts King releasing a dove from his right hand.[1] Watson, speaking about the statue, stated "[i]t was an evolution in terms of my concept of what Martin Luther King represents and the key message that he wanted to present to the world".[1] It is located at the intersection ofNorthside Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, near theMercedes-Benz Stadium.[1] The front of the pedestal bears the following inscription: "DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. / January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968 / Dedicated by the / CITY of ATLANTA / 2021 / "HOPE MOVING FORWARD" / Sculptor: BASIL WATSON". Additionally, the King quote "Hate cannot drive out hate; Only love can do that" is inscribed on the base.[3]