Thank you to all of our donors!!!!

It was a monumental occasion on November 19th in both St. Joseph and Benton Harbor as Martin Luther King lll, the eldest son of Dr. King, joined us for the unveiling of the monuments in honor of his father's legacy and civil rights.

Visit our Facebook page for more photos and press coverage.

Martin Luther King III to speak at MLK monuments unveiling and celebration November 19!

For immediate release

October 15, 2024

Unified Civic Monuments Project
Media contact: info@unifiedmonuments.org, 269.861.6533

Benton Harbor, Mich. - 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.

On Tuesday, November 19, the festivities will begin at 10:30 a.m. with an unveiling ceremony at the monument site in the Margaret B. Upton Arboretum in St. Joseph. At 11:00, all are invited to march with the Benton Harbor and St. Joseph high school bands to the Benton Harbor Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park. The Benton Harbor unveiling ceremony begins there at 11:30. 

At 1:30 p.m., the Unified Civic Monuments Project and the Lake Michigan College Speaker Series will welcome the public to a free special engagement featuring Mr. King at the LMC Mendel Center Grand Upton Hall. During the event, “A Conversation with Martin Luther King III,” Mr. King will touch on a variety of topics including the importance of continuing the struggle for civil rights and the importance of individual action in making his father’s dream a reality.

Reservations for free general admission seating at the 1:30 p.m. Speaker Series event may be made at bit.ly/mlk3talk. Advance reservations are encouraged to guarantee seating. Free general admission may also be available at the door up to the venue capacity. 

A limited amount of bus transportation will be available between the two monument sites, to the Mendel Center, and back. Food trucks will be available on the grounds of the Mendel Center beginning at 11:30 a.m. Food and specialty beverage tickets for the food trucks may be purchased in the Grand Upton Hall Lobby. Cash and credit cards will be accepted. Attendees are also welcome to bring their own lunch. Complimentary lemonade, ice tea and water will be available inside Grand Upton Hall. 

Volunteers to serve as ushers at the unveiling are encouraged to reach out at unifiedmonuments.org/contact or through the UCMP Facebook page.

The unveiling is the culmination of 15 years of dreaming and four years of planning and fundraising for the revised vision of ‘Two Kings for Two Cities’ by Emanuel and Sharon Brown, founders of Benton Harbor’s African American History and Literature Gallery, in collaboration with partners Krasl Art Center, Lake Michigan College, the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, and Berrien Community Foundation, who assembled volunteers from around the community into the Unified Civic Monuments Project. Together, the group has raised over $900,000 to bring these monuments to life, with installation now underway. This project is the only collaborative, multi-city effort in the country honoring Dr. King.

The funds to install the monuments were donated by more than 400 individuals, groups, and corporations. The UCMP was also awarded a matching grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation through a Patronicity crowdfunding campaign. 

“Because of Benton Harbor’s and St. Joseph’s united commitment in their devoted giving, UCMP stands proud and eternally grateful in scheduling to deliver the fruit of these gifts back to the people,” Sharon Brown said.

Martin Luther King III

From speaking to thousands at the 60th Anniversary of March on Washington in August 2023 to his dozens of arrests during peaceful protests, Martin Luther King III is shepherding the healing of our nation and the world. 

As the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III is a humanitarian and thought leader on the world stage, a peacemaker, and a negotiator on some of today’s most critical national and international platforms for social change. Amplifying the work of his father, Mr. King and his wife Arndrea Waters King, have devoted their lives to promoting global human rights and eradicating racism, violence, and poverty, earning a reputation as a respected international statesman and one of the world’s most passionate advocates for the poor and oppressed. Together as Chairman and President respectively, Martin and Arndrea lead the Drum Major Institute (DMI), an organization based on the ideals of Dr. King.

Mr. King regularly appears on CNN, MSNBC, NBC News, and ABC News. His opinion pieces have been published in The Washington Post, The New York Times, on CNN.com, and other major news outlets. 

Unified Civic Monuments Project

The Unified Civic Monuments Project is led by the founders of the African American History & Literature Gallery, with the support of Krasl Art Center, Lake Michigan College, Berrien Community Foundation, the BH-SJ Arts & Culture Social Justice Group, and the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph. 

To learn more about the ongoing programming of this project, including updates to the unveiling celebrations, please visit UnifiedMonuments.org.

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We hope you will join us!

Groundbreaking for monuments to Dr. King to be held June 19

Benton Harbor, Mich. - The Unified Civic Monuments Project is inviting the public to the groundbreaking ceremony for the new monuments to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Juneteenth, Wednesday, June 19, at 4:30 p.m.

“This is not your typical groundbreaking,” said Sharon Brown, who is co-director of the African American History and Literature Gallery with her husband, Emanuel, and co-founder of the project. “It will be unique, multi-generational and inclusive. Please bring your children and grandchildren to this historic event!” 

The event begins at the site of the Benton Harbor monument, Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park. After the Benton Harbor ceremony, attendees will board buses to the St. Joseph site in the Margaret Upton Arboretum along the St. Joseph River.

The cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph formed the BH/SJ Arts and Cultural Social Justice and assembled a group of volunteers as the Unified Civic Monuments Project (UCMP) in 2020. The artist team David Alan Clark and Harold Woodridge designed the bronze sculptures and surrounding interactive elements, which feature Dr. King inspiring a hopeful youth in unity and fairness. The UCMP is working with St. Joe Monument Works, Rootbound of St. Joseph, and other local contractors to install the monuments.

Tami Fauver, director of the Krasl Art Center, said, “If you believe in any of these things - justice, unity, community development, welcoming visitors to the area - these monuments are yours. Come to the groundbreaking and celebrate.”

The unveiling of the monuments will take place in the fall of this year.

Additional funds raised now that the initial goal of $850,000 is met will be used for ongoing programming, curriculum development, special events, monument site maintenance, and potential future monument enhancements. More information and the donation link can be found at unifiedmonuments.org/donate.

Unified Civic Monuments Project

The Unified Civic Monuments Project is led by the founders of the African American History & Literature Gallery, with the support of Krasl Art Center, Lake Michigan College, Berrien Community Foundation, the BH-SJ Arts & Culture Social Justice Group, and the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph. 

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During the commemoration of Juneteenth 2024, join us for the UCMP Groundbreaking Ceremony!

June 19, 2024 at 4:30 pm 

The ceremony will start at the site of “Seat at the Table” in Benton Harbor. (Pete Mitchel City Center Park, 100 E. Main St., Benton Harbor), and will culminate in St. Joseph at the site of “The Mountain Top” (Margaret B. Upton Arboretum, 617 Water St., St. Joseph).  There will be shuttle buses between the two sites.

We hope you will be able to join us for this monumental occasion!

Greetings to our supporters.  Thanks again for all of your generous donations!  Below is the press release that went out after our campaign success.  Look for monthly updates on the progress of the project, and we look forward to seeing you all at the groundbreaking in June!

MLK Monuments Project meets fundraising goal: Groundbreaking planned for June 19
For immediate release

February 20, 2024

Unified Civic Monuments Project
Media contact: info@unifiedmonuments.org, 269.861.6533

Benton Harbor, Mich. - The Unified Civic Monuments Project has met their fundraising goal of $850,000. The monuments are the only collaborative, multi-city project in the country honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The groundbreaking ceremony is planned for the week of Juneteenth 2024 and the unveiling will be scheduled upon completion in late fall. 

The final fundraising push included a grant from the Whirlpool Foundation that was contingent on raising the balance of the funds. The challenge was announced two years ago by Mike Todman, president of the Whirlpool Foundation, who said at the time that the Whirlpool Foundation’s support is  “about building a diverse community and a hopeful future for the next generation.” 

The group has also been approved for a $50,000 matching grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation through a Patronicity crowdfunding campaign. 

The cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph formed the BH/SJ Arts and Cultural Social Justice and assembled a group of volunteers as the Unified Civic Monuments Project (UCMP) in 2020. After a national search process, the group began working with artist team David Alan Clark and Harold Woodridge to design and install the bronze sculptures and surrounding interactive elements. The designs have been approved by both city councils, and both feature Dr. King inspiring a hopeful youth in unity and love.

Additional funds raised now that the initial goal is met will be used for ongoing programming, curriculum development, special events, monument site maintenance, and potential future monument enhancements. More information and the donation link can be found at unifiedmonuments.org/donate.

Unified Civic Monuments Project

The Unified Civic Monuments Project is led by the founders of the African American History & Literature Gallery, with the support of Krasl Art Center, Lake Michigan College, Berrien Community Foundation, the BH-SJ Arts & Culture Social Justice Group, and the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph. 

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We are pleased to provide an upcoming update of our progress

Thank you to all our patrons--we did it!  With your support we raised our goal of $50,000 which will be matched by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.  The power of art and community is alive in Southwest Michigan!  Thanks again, and the time is now!

Thank you to all of our donors, past and future, on this day of celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, in honor in what would have been his 95th birthday today!  With your support we are well on our way to meeting our $50,000 fundraising goal by February 15th.  Keeping the dream alive in southwest Michigan!!