Milwaukee's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue honors his legacy
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Milwaukee at least twice. Now, Milwaukee honors King’s legacy with a statue in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood.
King’s first recorded speech in Milwaukee was in August 1957 at the Grand Avenue Congressional Church, now the Irish Cultural & Heritage Center on West Wisconsin Avenue.
He returned during a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement in January 1964, where he spoke to over 6,000 at the Milwaukee Auditorium (now the Miller High Life Theatre).
In the biggest showing of support for King, an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people marched on Milwaukee just a few days removed from his assassination. The march was considered the largest civil rights demonstration in the city’s history.
King’s Milwaukee sculpture is located at North King Drive and West Vine Street. The sculptor, Erik Blome, once said he hoped to capture King animated as if he was giving a speech.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue honors his legacy
