BUFFALO, N.Y. — A commission that oversees artwork in the City of Buffalo says a controversial sculpture in MLK Park should not be removed.
According to the original designers of that piece of art, the sculpture was never supposed to look like Martin Luther King, Jr., but activists disagree.
Below the bust is a plaque of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s I Have A Dream speech, but the sculpture itself doesn't look anything like Dr. King.
"The sculpture is not representing a likeness of Dr. King. It was intended to represent all African Americans in the community," said Donald Siuta, a Buffalo Arts commissioner who also runs the Art Dialogue Gallery.
"It is the arts commission intention to protect the piece of artwork that was done by a nationally renowned artist John Wilson. His pieces are represented in major collections, city museums."
The sculpture was unveiled in 1983.
We've heard from some who helped raise funds to create the bust and have supported it for years.
But community activists with the Coalition To Save MLK Park feel betrayed.
"Again, I say they never said when they was asking for money to build a statue of Dr. King that they say, 'We're raising money to build a symbolistic statue in the legacy of a black man.' To hell with that," activist Sam Herbert said.
He created a petition calling for the removal of the bust and replace it with a statue of Dr. King.
"To remove that distorted black head, shameful black head, that never looked like Dr. King, Reverend Martin Luther King is deserving of having a statue that looks just like him," Herbert said.
But the Buffalo Arts Commission -- which oversees all art in the city -- now says that it unanimously opposes the removal of the sculpture.
"The arts commission is not in the habit of allowing anyone to destroy any art work whatever. The reason: artwork is meant for everyone to enjoy, not only today but also tomorrow," Siuta said.
Activists say they're up to 8,000 signatures on that petition and have a goal of reaching 10,000.
That petition would then be presented to Buffalo Common Council.
The arts commission says that an application could be made to build a statue of Dr. King, but activists aren't interested in that they want the bust removed, and they hinted at possible legal action if that doesn't happen.
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