Jennifer Jacobs

Martin Luther King the third in a suit coat and tie smiles posing for a portrait.

Martin Luther King III to join UCMP at unveiling and celebration November 19

The Unified Civic Monuments Project announces that Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, will visit the Twin Cities community as the honored guest and speaker at a celebration of the double unveiling of monuments dedicated to his father. Double Unveiling Schedule November 19 10:30 …

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LIUNA Local 355: Feel the Power wordmark

$60k donation from LiUNA and special guest at Sunday’s Unity Walk

The West Michigan Chapter of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America, Local 355, has donated $60,000 to the Unified Civic Monuments Project (UCMP) to help raise the twin cities’ monuments to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The monuments – the only collaborative, multi-city project in the country honoring Dr. King – will …

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The Curriculum Committee - five members, both Black and white - seated at a meeting in the African-American History and Literature Gallery.

Small community has big goals to overcome racial divide through the power of public art

Benton Harbor, Mich. – The only collaborative, multi-city monuments in the country honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are being raised in two small communities in southwest Michigan.  A river separates Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, Michigan, but their demographic and economic makeup are even more effective at keeping the residents separate and unequal. St. …

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UCMP open house attendees discuss new site renderings on a posterboard.

HP: The Time is Short

Story by Herald Palladium/Louise Wrege; photo credit: Don Campbell/HP staff. Time is growing short to be a part of bringing two Martin Luther King Jr. monuments to the Twin Cities a reality. “We’ve been saying, ‘Now is the time’ for the last two years,” said Sharon Brown, one of the founders of the African American History & …

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Collage of renderings, three from each site, showing the plantings and hardscaping planned for around the monuments.

New Design Renderings

UCMP has engaged Rootbound, a local landscape design firm, to create a beautiful backdrop for each monument. The site designs each feature long-lasting plantings specific to the local environment, ADA accessible hardscaping, and well-organized flow around the monument elements.