ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta is celebrating what would have been Civil Rights pioneer and wife Coretta Scott King's 96th birthday.
A monument was unveiled honoring her legacy at the King Center.
"This just speaks volumes of who she was as a spiritual person…and from a very young age – realized she had a purpose and sought after that," said Dr. Bernice King, Coretta's youngest daughter and CEO of the King Center.
The metal monument stands over 15 feet tall. The artist said it's "an immersive mediation" experience.
It is a covered pavilion that sits on a mosaic floor with painted steel. The words "community" and "empathy" are displayed across the canopy.
Hulu commissioned artist Saya Woolfalk to bridge "the gender gap" in public art. The Coretta Scott King monument was just one of a few historic women Woolfalk will be creating.
"I didn't want to make a traditional piece. I wanted to make something that put you in her shoes where you felt her presence," said Woolfalk.
The monument also includes a lectern in the center of the structure. It symbolizes how often Coretta spoke to the media from behind a podium.
It was originally supposed to sit on the property owned by the City of Atlanta, but Dr. Bernice King thought the King Center was the perfect place.
Corretta's children said it's more than they ever could have imagined.
"It's very special to us because not only was she our mother, but she was our inspiration," said Martin Luther King III, son of Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. King added that she is grateful her mom is finally getting the flowers she deserved.
She said she was just as much a Civil Rights leader as her father and she deserves her flowers.
"Mrs. Coretta Scott King with a clear vision from God set out to brand in the world," said Bernice King.
Dr. Bernice King also said her mom– who was the driving force behind Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday being recognized as a national holiday. She said her mom was the unsung hero in her father's fight for justice and she deserves the recognition.
"I believe it's really because of the work that she did to continue to do what they were doing and more importantly encapsulate it and institutionalize it," Dr. Bernice King added.
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