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Page 6 • SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT * January-February, 1987
Commemorative Bust on Farrar Is One of Many
Display to Honor Dr. King Who Will Miss Stewart
Atlanta, GA. - Mrs. Coretta
Scott King, on behalf of the
Estate of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., has recently approv
ed a commemorative life-size
bronze of the late Dr. King for
national and international ac
quisition. The Limited Edition
King Bronze, commissioned by
The Meek Corporation of Atlan
ta, GA, is the only sculptured
work to receive license and the
exclusive authorization from the
King Estate for public release.
The Limited Edition King
Bronze, introduced as
“America’s Commemorative
Symbol of the Century,”is hand-
cast and finished utilizing the
demanding “lost wax” process.
Only 1001 Limited Edition King
Bronzes, signed, numbered and
accompanied by a Certificate of
Authenticity from Mrs. Coretta
Scott King, will be available. The
close collaboration with the King
Estate has insured a literal and
rare personal interpretation not
found in other singular works.
The bold lines and the extraor
dinary craftsmanship of this life-
size work of art nobly captures
the wealth of Dr. King’s strength
and courage. Only persons, in
stitutions and corporations that
have exhibited the practice of
the principles exemplified in the
efforts of Dr. King will be en
couraged to seek for the Limited
Edition King Bronze.
The Martin Luther King
Center for Nonviolent Social
Change in an unprecedented
gesture will display the King
Bronze, the only bust in its per
manent collection. The Meek
Corporation has developed a
The Limited Edition King
Bronze, “America’s Com
memorative Symbol of the Cen
tury,” has received the license
and the exclusive authorization
for public acquisition from the
King Estate. Approximately 15”
tall, the Limited Edition King
Bronze is hand cast and finish
ed, employing the demanding
“lost wax” process. Only 1001
busts, signed and numbered,
will ever be cast. Each will be ac
companied by a certificate
authenticated by Mrs. Coretta
Scott King, Administratrix of the
King Estate.
special sales and merchandising
program that is designed to pro
vide a substantial financing con
tribution to the Center.
A King Replica Bust, priced
for mass acquisition will be
available to the general public.
In its firt authorized i ssue, the
King Replica Bust is an exact
replica of the Limited Edition
Bronze. Each piece is faithfully
cast in Durastone and hand
finished to create the character
of the original bronze sculpture.
The Martin Luther King, Jr.
Center for Nonviolent Social
Change, Inc. has entered an ex
clusive agreement to help
market both the bronze and
replica editions. The Meek Cor
poration, a southern based
multicultural organization with
premium bronze work ex
perience, and the veteran
minority marketing firm, The
Shaw Group, Inc. of Memphis,
Tennessee, have established the
ideal cooperative for this very
sensitve presentation.
The replica sales program will
include special co-ventures to
benefit church, social and
cultural organizations.
Preliminary marketing studies
have revealed an incredibly high
average of positive responses to
initial exposure.
“The primary objective of this
project is to promote a com
memorative piece which will
compliment the labors of the late
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,”
stated Meek Corporation Prin
cipal, K. David Byars. “We
believe his ideals were based on
God’s plan for mankind, justice,
equality and a life of freedom for
all. Because of the demanding
attention to detail and sensitivi
ty, the project has taken several
years from conception to the
finished work,” Byars added.
“We’re proud of the craftsman
ship and humbled by the oppor
tunity to be involved in this
historic project.”
One of the many reasons why
I came to Spelman College in
1984 was my job interview with
Dr. Donald M. Stewart. His
friendly and charming manner
put me immediately at east. He
took a great interest in my work
and my future plans. He also
was genuinely interested in me
as person. In fact he carried
himself in such a classy way that
I resolved that, if possible, I
would want to be associated
with any institution that he
presided over. I knew little about
Spelman at that time, and quite
frankly, I was somewhat skep
tical about black colleges. My
skepticism came from some very
negative experiences I had had
at Fisk University. However, Dr.
Stewart, because of the gracious
and professional way that he
dealt with me, eliminated any
doubts I may have had about
Spelman and restored my faith
in historically black colleges. As
a result of my encounter with
Dr. Stewart I decided that if
Spelman made a reasonable of
fer I would come there. Well the
offer was more than reasonable,
so here I have been for the past
two years.
For a college as small as
Spelman, the president sets the
tone. In the years I have been
here. Dr. Stewart has set a tone
of excellence in academics,
graciosness in interpersonal rela
tions, and pride and profes
sionalism in all activities related
to Spelman College. I speak for
my colleagues on the faculty
when I say that I will miss him
and wish all the best at the Col
lege Board. That organization is
receiving a “class act” in Donald
Stewart.
Hayward “Woody” Farrar
Assistant Professor
History Department
The Spelman Spotlight
staff apologizes for the delay
between the last issue and
this one.
Despite the delay, we are
continuously working to
represent your voice and we
hope you appreciate our
efforts. Enjoy the issue!
The Spotlight Staff.
“Racist Violence and Police Intimidation
Now Commonplace Across the Country
By Manning Marable
Lynching a Black person —
along with baseball, hot dogs,
and Fourth of July picnics — is
an American tradition.
Scapegoat politics, or blame-
the-victim vigilantism, always
surfaces whenever the political
establishment turns its back on
civil rights for minorities.
The most recently publicized
example of racially-motivated
random violence occurred in a
middle class, white
neighborhood in Queens, New
York, last month. Three Black
men were forced to walk
through the white area when
their car broke down. Stopping
briefly to purchase a pizza, they
were narrassed by a gang of
white youths, who shouted:
“Niggers, you don’t belong
here!” The Black men were
chased and beaten with fists,
three limbs and a baseball bat.
One victim managed to escape,
and another brutally beaten man
survived only by pretending to
be unconscious. But the third
Black man, 23 year old Michael
Griffith, was beaten and forced
to flee across a highway. Struck
by an automobile, Griffith’s body
smashed the windshield, was
thrown against the centerline
divider, and he was killed.
Although several white
suspects were quickly arrested,
the crimes provoked an
uproaring—as well as some
hypocritical posturing by local
white politicians. Mayor Ed
Koch quickly termed the inci
dent “a racial lynching” and “the
most horrendous incident” of his
nine years in office. But Koch,
a vicious political opponent of
most Black and progressive
causes, had directly contributed
to the anti-Black political culture
in the city.
Black leaders in New York
understood the real issues
behind Griffith’s death. Civil
rights attorney C. Vernon
Mason noted that it had become
“more acceptable for whites to
take the law into their own
hands” when they encounter
Black people. New York Urban
League Director Harriet Michel
observed, “The attackers felt
that they had a right to punish
Michael Griffith, and punish him
because he was Black . . . Since
this is not an isolated incident,
finding the culprits is not
enough.”
We should expand Michel’s
critique to the entire country,
because in the 1980s, racist
violence and police intimidation
have become almost com
monplace. In Jefferson Parish,
Louisiana, a New Orleans
suburb, Sheriff Harry Lee an
nounced a “new strategy for
combating crime” last month. “If
there are some young Blacks
driving a car late at night in a
predominantly white area,” Lee
stated, “they will be stopped.”
After harsh criticism from civil
rights groups, Lee was forced to
rescind the order. But most local
whites, Republicans and
Democrats alike, rallied behind
the sheriff. Lee is now the over
whelming favorite for reelection
as sheriff this year. As both
George Wallace and Ronald
Reagan have shown previously,
See Racial, p. 9