A new statue celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. is being mocked on social media, with some labelling it as 'obscene' and even 'pornographic looking'.
Last week, a $10 million (£8.1 million) 22-foot statue was unveiled in Boston, which is supposed to depict a photograph of Martin Luther King Jr. hugging his wife Coretta Scott King after they learned he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.
The statue, known as The Embrace, shows four intertwined arms that form a heart from one view.
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Designed by sculptor Hank Willis Thomas, The Embrace was placed in Boston Common, near to where the Kings met while studying in the 1950s.
For its official unveiling on Friday (13 January), family members were invited, ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is today (16 January).
Son Martin Luther King III said that his parents loved Boston "because of its proud heritage as a hotbed of the abolitionist movement and its unique intellectual and educational resources."
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But many people are not too impressed with the loom of the statue, with some suggesting it doesn't look like the iconic picture.
Journalist Laura Bassett said on Twitter: "I can’t stop thinking about the new MLK statue. Who is responsible for this."
A second added: "It’s honestly super embarrassing that the new, super confusing MLK statue in Boston cost $10 million to make. Imagine where all that money could’ve gone."
And a third said: "Is there any angle where this does not look pornographic?"
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Meanwhile, a fourth remarked: "Haven’t seen one angle of that MLK statue that looks normal or good."
Coretta King's cousin, Seneca Scott, also got involved with the debate by writing an article for online journal Compact Mag.
She said: "The new Boston sculpture 'honoring' Dr. Martin Luther King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, looks more like a pair of hands hugging a beefy penis than a special moment shared by the iconic couple.
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"Ten million dollars were wasted to create a masturbatory metal homage to my legendary family members—one of the all-time greatest American families."
Scott continued: "How could anyone fail to see that this was a major d**k move (pun intended) that brings very few, if any, tangible benefits to struggling black families?
"So now Boston has a big bronze penis statue that’s supposed to represent black love at its purest and most devotional.
"This is no accident. The woke algorithm is racist and classist."
Topics: US News
Callum Jones