Focus on this artwork and discuss the 2015 statue.
The 2015 statue by Thomas Jay Warren was unveiled on the plaza near the Essex County Hall of Records, on October 14, 2015. The 8 feet (2.4 m) tall bronze statue stands on a 3 feet (0.91 m) tall granite pedestal depicts King with his hands outstretched and his head tilted slightly downward so visitors onlookers can see his face. The pedestal is engraved with "I Have a Dream", which references King's famous speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It notes his Nobel Peace Prize and is engraved with words ascribed to King: Hope, Equality, Peace, Courage, Love and Respect. An accompanying plaque reads:
"At a time in American history, when the need for change was evident, Martin Luther King, Jr., a young Georgia minister, rose to lead a nationwide civil rights movement. He guided a bus boycott that ended segregated seating, supported integrated groups of 'Freedom Riders' who shattered old, southern 'Jim Crow' laws, assisted young people conducting 'sit-ins' at segregated lunch counters, and led hundreds of peaceful protest marches. Brilliant, dignified, persuasive and eloquent, he always stressed non-violence, even in the face of adversity. He inspired thousands of people, of all colors, races and religions, to join hands, and more than 200,000 supporters gathered in Washington, DC, for his iconic 'I have a dream…' oration. As President of the Southern Christian Leadership Council, he brought attention to sources of national discrimination, helping to gain passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, forever changing the course of American history. Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work, on this very day, 50 years ago. Assassinated in 1968, he is one of the most respected and revered of all Human Rights activists."
"I show him at a younger age than you mostly see him," the sculptor said. "I tried to capture him at the time he visited Newark." Warren, based in Oregon, also created statues of Rosa Park, Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., Governor Brendan Byrne and Congressman Donald M. Payne at the Essex County Government Complex and the statue of Althea Gibson in Branch Brook Park.
The statue was relocated to the jurors entrance of the new courthouse building.
Thomas Jay Warren I Have a Dream March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom Branch Brook Park