The Most Beautiful Civil Rights Monuments in America
Photo: Getty Images1/9Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument—Birmingham, Alabama
Created as a memorial to the protests carried out across Alabama as part of the initiative called “Project C,” this stunning monument serves as a reminder of the violent attacks on freedom. The sculpture depicts attack dogs emerging from stone and surrounding visitors as they walk through the monument, recreating the terror that protesters felt.
Photo: Getty Images2/9The Virginia Civil Rights Memorial—Richmond, Virginia
Unveiled by then-governor Tim Kaine in 2008, the Virginia Civil Rights Monument depicts 16-year-old Barbara Johns boldly leading a strike on her high school, protesting its inadequate learning facilities for African American students. This brave act eventually led to the 1954 decision on Brown vs. The Board of Education, which ended segregation in schools.
Photo: Getty Images3/9Landmark for Peace Memorial in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park—Indianapolis, Indiana
Standing proudly in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, the Landmark for Peace memorial depicts Dr. King and Robert Kennedy reaching out to each other, commemorating Robert Kennedy’s famous speech in Indianapolis, given on the day of Dr. King’s assassination. While riots broke out around the country ignited by the news of his death, Robert Kennedy was urged to forgo his scheduled speech. Instead, Robert Kennedy used this opportunity to highlight the inequalities that divided this country.
Photo: Getty Images4/9Harriet Ross Tubman Memorial—Boston
Far before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous "I Have A Dream" speech, abolitionist Harriet Tubman was helping more than 300 African Americans escape slavery via the Underground Railroad. This bronze statue commemorates the life of Harriet Tubman and was the first statue in Boston to be erected by the city to a woman.
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Photo: Getty Images5/9National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel—Memphis, Tennessee
The Lorraine Motel was the site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Today, the Lorraine Motel serves as a memorial to Dr. King and all the lives he touched with his work.
Photo: Getty Images6/9Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monument—Denver
This powerful monument created by Ed Dwight depicts Martin Luther King Jr. sculpted in bronze standing upon the shoulders of other important civil rights activists, such as Rosa Parks and Ghandi.
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Photo: Getty Images7/9Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial—Washington, D.C.
This 30-foot statue carved in King’s likeness looks as though it was thrust from the two large pieces of rock behind King, symbolic of the Mountain of Despair, mentioned in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, and the Stone of Hope.
Photo: Getty Images8/9The Civil Rights Memorial—Montgomery, Alabama
This beautiful granite monument celebrates 40 individuals killed between 1954 and 1968 who fought for equality during the civil rights movement. A steady stream of water encompasses the engraved names of these individuals, as artist Maya Lin was inspired by the healing properties of water.
- Architecture + DesignStep Inside June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer’s Character-Filled Los Feliz Home
Photo; Getty Images9/9Arthur Ashe Monument—Richmond, Virginia
As the only African American man to win at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, Arthur Ashe was an activist for equality both socially and in his sport. He was also the first, and only, African American man to be ranked number one in the world in tennis.
