The city of Cincinnati says a new statue of Martin Luther King Jr. is coming to Avondale. And it wants your photos to help finish the memorial.
Javarious Jackson has been leading the project for the City Manager's Office. He says the centerpiece of the memorial will be a 6-and-a-half-foot tall bronze statue of Dr. King depicted at his pulpit. It'll be surrounded by six pillars representing the tenets of nonviolence King practiced.
"If you've ever been into a Southern Baptist church with the beautiful murals and the stained glass windows, that's what we're trying to emulate in this statue," he says.
The memorial replaces one built in 1987 and removed in 2017 as work happened on the I-71 interchange, MLK Jr. Drive, and Reading Road.
Houston-based RE:site designed the memorial. Jackson says the city expects to break ground soon and finish the memorial in spring 2026.
Before the design is finished, however, the city is teaming up with the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library to gather photos depicting the city's connections with Dr. King and the Civil Rights movement.
The Holloman Center for Social Justice in Avondale will hold a photo scanning event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 26. There's also .
City of Cincinnati Department of City Engagement and Planning's Eunique Avery says it's a way for residents to highlight their personal connections with King's legacy.
"Anything you may have at home you think could really bring and shed light on the unique historical nature that Cincinnati has as it relates to Civil Rights and social justice, we invite you to come out and share those with us."
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