Mixed Reviews on Statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

The city of Winter Park, Florida, recently learned a tough lesson about the high stakes of honoring a revered figure. When the city unveiled its long-awaited statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the celebratory mood officials likely expected was instead met with confusion and disappointment from the community.

The reactions were swift and critical. “His feet was too big, his head was too big. His arm was too big and it looked really like a caricature of Dr. King and really didn’t look anything like him,” said Jonathan Blount, co-founder of Essencemagazine and a community member, according to WESH 2 News. He felt the statue didn’t meet the high standards Winter Park is known for. Another resident, Nora Koenecke, expressed a similar mixed reaction, saying, “On one side, oh yeah, I like it. On the other side, it doesn’t look like him.”

Artist Andrew Luy, who was chosen by a city committee to create the sculpture, said the feedback he received before the reveal was generally positive. “The feedback I got from the committee and also the majority, actually all of the attendees that came to the unveiling, was greatly positive,” Luy shared. He also stated that he heard the King estate was happy with the representation, even though he didn’t have direct contact with them.

However, online, the criticism was much sharper. A YouTube user commented, “That’s a terrible MLK statue. It is, however, a pretty good Gary Coleman statue.” On Instagram, some users compared the statue to the fictional character George Jefferson, while others questioned the approval process and whether the statue was meant as a tribute or an insult.

Winter Park Mayor Sheila DeCiccio acknowledged the community’s concerns, saying, “Maybe it just didn’t come out the way everybody had hoped it would. I hear what you’re saying.” She noted, however, that it would be difficult to change anything given the significant investment.

This isn’t the first time a statue of Dr. King has been met with mixed reactions. In 2010, the “Stone of Hope” statue on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was criticized because it was made by a Chinese artist, Lei Yixin, and some felt the statue’s features looked Asian. Similarly, a 2023 sculpture in Boston called “The Embrace,” which was inspired by a hug between Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, also sparked a variety of opinions.

Despite the public backlash, reports indicate that the King family did approve Luy’s design for the Winter Park statue.