Okay.
So a monument meant to
honor the Reverend Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr
and his wife, Coretta
Scott King's legacy.
Facing some backlash, "The Embrace"
it's called "The Embrace"
the statue was unveiled Friday
at the Boston Common
where King gave a speech back in 1965.
It was inspired by a photograph
of the couple hugging after Dr.
King won the Nobel Peace Prize
back in 1964.
So look at the hands in the picture
and then look at that.
The art piece
designed by conceptual artist
Hank Willis Thomas.
Only features a couple's arms
during the embrace and not their heads
which has sparked a mixed reaction
It's not the missing hands
that's the atrocity.
Although people glom onto that
there's a stump that looks like a penis.
That's a joke.
Look at this.
Look, YouTubers,
I'm sorry, but that's it.
That looks like a giant penis
right there.
I'm sorry.
It does.
I think the artist did a great job.
I'm I'm satisfied.
But he represents something that brings
people together.
All right.
Not sure why
we played some of that,
because it's just obviously Charles.
But listen,
Joining us now is conceptual
artist behind the statue, Hank Willis.
Thomas. Good morning.
Good morning. How are you? Welcome.
I tell you, I saw the small version
and the concept beforehand of the dinner,
and I thought it was fantastic.
There are lots of people
who think it's fantastic
and you don't really care that this
I care because,
I mean, how could you not think about Dr.
King and this is King's
legacy in that care.
But also,
when you put out in the world,
you can't control what people see.
You know,
I think about the Rorschach test,
the inkblot test.
You know,
what you see says a lot
about what you see, you world.
And so I
the work is meant to be going into
it's a call to action.
You go in
and be in the heart of their embrace.
So what people see online, I can't
really control.
I love
this because it
makes you think more deeply.
And I love so much focuses in on Dr.
King and not on her.
Right. And it's a it's a couple.
And the importance
of that support and power.
But also, you say
there are so many monuments
of the Kings that we don't see
them as real people.
That was your goal here.
Yeah.
I wanted to capture embody
the feeling of love
in their relationship.
You know,
there is a quote that really inspired
this piece in it from Mrs.
King's book, My Love, My Legacy
But it says
to two, to me, the beloved community
is a realistic vision
of an achievable society,
one in which problems
and conflicts exist,
but are resolved peacefully
and without bitterness.
The beloved community is a state of heart
and mind,
a spirit of hope and goodwill
that transcends all boundaries.
And barriers and embraces all creation.
So the idea of the beloved community
that they talked about,
that we forget about
is what I was hoping.
And I'm hoping
I know whenever I see something going and
they feel,
what does it mean for
you to be able
to contribute
to their legacy in this way?
It's unbelievable.
Boston.com is the oldest
continuously used
public space in the country
dating back to the 1600s.
You know, to have a monument
to descendants of slaves
who were
inspirational beings who will be known
and talked about for centuries
and celebrated through
this work
is something that I'm eternally
grateful for. Okay.
So a couple of Rapid-Fire questions.
So you're happy with it?
Oh, over the over. No.
There are no plans to modify
or change it.
Now, would you do that if if asked,
I mean, by who I mean,
because this is a piece
that was selected
by the people of Boston.
This is not a hangout.
Just came and put something.
Thousands of people worked on this.
Thousands of people
actually put it together
and no one saw this.
I would say perverse perspective.
And I mean, to bring that
to the king's legacy and to dictate
is to dictate
the making of our
and the celebration of them
is really strange for me.
I think it's I mean, obviously,
you see what you want is what
they said in the art. And
I think sometimes
the most compelling
art is the controversial art or what
people bring.
Because I had this one piece,
you know who William Papel is?
Yeah, of course.
Yeah.
And people come in
which was rushing to get and I love it.
I love this piece,
which Johnson
is a friend of both of ours.
So get this piece.
And it is the most it's
the first thing that people talk about
when they come into the house. Yeah.
And so
if it causes people to have a discussion
then is it worth it? Yeah.
And it's a good art.
Ask questions
and how you, what you see says a lot.
And so what I'm asking you,
what do you see?
You know,
I see the power of love
to transform society
other people see other things.
But I really can't wait for you guys
to go and see it and be inside it
because that's
where the all really happens.
I can't wait to take my kids.
I was telling them
my daughter just came home.
She's six and on Friday
and she said she learned to Dr.
Martin Luther
King was so to hear that
through a child's voice
for the first time.
And what he did for
this country was a lot
and the last thing is that
I remember
when the Vietnam War Memorial came out,
there was a lot of controversy
around that.
Now, it's so beloved.
A lot of people see crazy things
when they look at the
Washington Monument, you know?
So there's all kinds of ways
in which these monuments have sparked
various perspectives.
And this is just another
one of them to a good point.
And you make such a good point about it
being a conversation starter.
And really,
the point is to have a conversation
about their legacy
and about why you did this.
And I'm glad that we had that comfort
because ultimately that would
even wherever it starts,
it will lead to that part
where you where you wanted to lead.
And also reminds me, I live in Chicago.
Remember when the bean was installed?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, you know, it is what it is.
Yeah.
I love you and your gorgeous wife.
Thank you.
You should have brought her on.
I should say the babies
weren't fully up yet.
Hank Willis, Thomas, we appreciate it.
Best of luck.
Thank you. Thanks for having me on.
It's really great to be here.