Why They Should Depart From the MLK Memorial Should They Decide to Put Him in Your Coin Collection
Okay I know that MLK isn’t on any coins or in any coin collections — yet. But he’s now the first non-president to have a memorial in Washington D.C., which means he could likely get his face in coin collecting pretty soon. Unfortunately his memorial is quite hideous.
First of all, the stone is Chinese granite, which is supposed to be harder than American granite. It was sculpted by an Chinese man, rather than an American, due to his knowledge of the stone. And the sculpture of the black man is white, which they say is supposed to allow the memorial to be seen more easily at night.
But the design is what really irks me. MLK stands arms crossed in a defiant posture, which is okay, I guess, since he was defying cultural norms during the Civil Rights movement. But his furrowed brow conjures an aggressive persona rather than the somber pathos of the other sculpted presidents. Here MLK serves as a reminder of white-on-black atrocities rather than a fraternal ideal to aspire to.
Let’s just hope that if they decide to commemorate MLK with a coin for your coin collection, they honor his memory with a peaceful profile rather than the stand-offish nature of this propagandistic memorial.
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Posted on: Monday, September 5th, 2011 at 9:39 am
Posted in: coin supplies
Tags: Coin Collecting, coin collection, coin collections