A new statue of the civil rights leader, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, is located in King’s Quad at Newcastle University. The 2m tall bronze statue, by Nigel Boonham, was commissioned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of King’s visit to Newcastle University to accept an honorary degree. The statue was unveiled on 13th November 2017, by Ambassador Andrew Young, who accompanied Dr King on his visit to Newcastle in 1967. Words taken from Dr King’s acceptance speech circle the base of the statue. He spoke of the ‘three urgent and grave problems’ facing the world: war, poverty and racism. This was Dr King’s last public address outside the US before he was assassinated.
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