Restore monument to honor Mrs. King

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT appears on a neglected monument on campus:

“In Memorial of Martin Luther King.

To the wife, the children and parents of Dr. King in their bereavement.

For the assassin or assassins that the lord may have mercy upon them.

For the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King in thankfulness for his servanthood to all men.

For the civil rights movement and the patience, love and long suffering of those denied their rights.

For the white community and all men in power that prejudice, racism and bigotry may decrease in our life and love, understanding and brotherhood may increase.

For peace in God’s name among all men.”

Can you guess which campus monument bears the above statement?

You’re correct if you guessed the ‘black table,’ located in the Free Speech Area, at the entrance of University Center’s Renaissance Room.

If your guess was wrong, don’t worry about it, you’re like many people on campus who know nothing about the monument.

Last week, the monument served as scene for a confrontation between preacher Anthony Munoz and students opposed to his radical style of preaching. As the confrontation persisted, Munoz climbed on the monument to continue his preaching. Munoz said he climbed on the monument to avoid physical contact with the students protesting.

The confrontation lasting more than 30 minutes caused the campus security to call the police who found Munoz standing on the monument and asked him to step down.

Munoz apologized Monday for using the monument as a stage and said he never meant to disrespect King.

“I did not know it was a monument, to me it was just a table,” Munoz said. “I have respect for Martin Luther King and his message, he was a wonderful man.”

It is not surprising that Munoz was not aware of the significance of the ‘table.’ Seven out of 40 students interviewed around the Free Speech Area where the monument stands said they didn’t know that it exists.
Freshman child development major Viri Hernandez said she didn’t know about the monument.

“I feel bad now, I was sitting on it the other day,” Hernandez said.

The monument built in the late 60s is in a terrible condition. The statement on the monument, written in a bright green paint against a peeling black paint background, is hardly readable. The surface, made from metal sheet, has miraculously held the writings despite the long period of neglect, unintended desecration and abuse. There is absolutely nothing besides a lonely small plaque at a corner on the wall of the University Center that shows a monument exists in the vicinity.

It is embarrassing to associate the monument in its current state with King’s colossal legacy.

“They need to jazz it up if it’s as important as it is,” junior criminology major Jennifer Cook said.

I hope I’m not pre-empting any future plans to honor the late Mrs. Corretta Scott King on campus, but for a start, I propose for the university together with the Associated Students to restore and upgrade the monument in honor of Mrs. King’s contribution to America’s civil rights movement.

Comment on this story in the Opinion forum >>