February 26th 2024.
On February 20th, a statue of the beloved Civil Rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was vandalized by an unknown party. It was a heartbreaking sight as several pieces of the monument were removed, including a bronze torch, angel, and a bronze panel that honored Black military veterans. According to the creator of the monument, Ed Dwight, as well as former Mayor and First Lady of Denver, Wellington and Wilma Webb, the statue sadly did not have a security system in place.
In response to this heinous act, the ex-Mayor and First Lady held a press conference on February 22nd to address the incident. They were both deeply troubled by the attack on the memory of Dr. King and wanted to bring attention to the fact that this issue should concern not just the residents of Denver, but all Americans. As Wilma Webb passionately stated, "This is something that all Coloradans and all Denverites and all people in America should be concerned about." The Webbs also highlighted the lack of proper security measures in the area, emphasizing the need for lights and video cameras to prevent such acts of vandalism in the future.
It is important to note that Wellington and Wilma Webb played a crucial role in ensuring that Dr. King's legacy was properly honored in both Denver and Colorado. Wellington, during his time as Mayor, helped establish the memorial in Denver's city park alongside his wife. Wilma, as a Colorado state representative, sponsored legislation to make Dr. King's birthday a state holiday before it was made a national holiday by the federal government.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, represented by Executive Director Deborah Richardson, also condemned the vandalism in a press release. Richardson, who grew up in a neighborhood surrounded by Black civil rights leaders including Dr. King's family, was personally affected by this act. She said, "The violation of this monument, designed by a Black artist to commemorate a Black luminary, is outrageous and must be condemned in the strongest terms possible." The Anti-Defamation League's Mountain States Regional Director, Scott Levin, also expressed solidarity and denounced the crime, stating, "This terrible crime sends a message to communities of color that they are not welcome... All of us are entitled to feel safe, secure and welcomed in a state where there should be no place for hate."
Vern Howard, the chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission, refused to let this act discourage their work and mission. In an interview with the Denver Post, Howard defiantly declared, "You can steal. You can take. You can pull. You can hate. You can do everything that you believe necessary to detour the message of Dr. King... We're going to continue to march, to honor and to work toward freedom, toward justice, toward the end of racism, toward the end of hatred and the end of discrimination."
As the investigation continues, the Denver Police Department's Bias-Motivated Crime Unit is looking into the incident and trying to determine if there was any racial bias involved. It is a sad reminder that even in a state like Colorado, where diversity is celebrated, there are still individuals who harbor hate and intolerance. But as the community comes together to condemn this act and reaffirm their commitment to Dr. King's message of love and equality, it is clear that their efforts to spread his message will not be deterred.
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