August 6, 2007

King is Ours; Not 'Made in China'!


Villagers, some things simply don't make any sense. Having a monument shipped to Washington DC from China with a sticker that says, "Made in China" makes no sense. Don't we have any talented African American artists that can have opportunity to shine with this unique project?

I have just signed an online petition: "King is Ours!" and I'm asking you to do the same.

The planned monument to our beloved Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has been awarded to an artist from a country with a reprehensible history of civil rights violations against its people. The granite to be used for King's sculpture will be harvested using slave labor--Chinese workers are not even provided masks to protect their lungs from the silica dust. They die in droves because the Chinese government considers them just as important as the students who protested in Tienamen Square. The world watched the tanks roll over them. No human rights, No civil rights, and yet the honor of sculpting Dr. Martin Luther King?
Villagers, some things simply don't make any sense.

We cannot sit back and watch an artist famous for his statues of the murderer Mao Tse Dung, and tool of a government that labeled King a "reactionary running dog," sculpt the King Monument. Would we allow an artist famous for his statues of Hitler to sculpt Ann Frank? Combine these facts with another: There is not ONE national monument to a leader of any country anywhere on this planet with the name of an African American artist on its base.

Villagers, some things don't make any sense. Perhaps it is time for us to demand the right to interpret and present our own historic proclamation in this first ever national monument to an African American man or woman. Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference.

Villagers, some things don't make any sense. What say u?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful. I love this post!

maryt/theteach said...

OMG! Wayne This can't happen...I'm signing the petition. How did this happen?

maryt/theteach said...

This is what it said in the Washington Post: A former adviser for the memorial has accused the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation Inc. of promoting Lei to head artist in the hopes of getting a $25 million donation from the Chinese government to make up for a shortfall in funding.

What a shame!

Dazjae said...

This is insanity and I am glad there is a petition. Thankyou for the information. I have signed and will pass the information on. The 'black'listing is to be put to a stop. Period.
The right to represent our own people is a birthright.

Andree said...

I'm signing. I'm glad you showed me this.

Unknown said...

Kellie, Teach, Dazjae & Meeyauw - Thank you for your support ... and for signing the online petition. Feel free to share information on this monument effort in your blog if you have time or inclination.

peace, Villager

Anonymous said...

This is old news I read about last year I think. I'm surprised the statue isn't finished by now. The story seems to have reappeared again.

Unknown said...

Trinity - I guess it takes longer for the slave labor to make the statue materials than first envisioned by the Chinese sculptor.

peace, Villager