Why is the NIU administration afraid to allow a large realistic statue of Martin Luther King Jr. to preside over the center of campus?

Is the idea of the presence of a larger-than-life likeness of a great black man who stood for freedom too much for them to swallow?

Are they afraid that students walking through campus might be inspired by the memory of King? Are they even more afraid that some of the ever-present NIU racists might try to deface the statue, sparking anger in the black (and supporting white) community and maybe more of those untidy anti-racism protests?

Whatever the answers to these questions may be, the issue of the King statue is not one of aesthetics. It is highly political. The NIU administration can cloak themselves in “Unity and Diversity” and their attempts to fool us with thinly veiled “good intent.” But when the winds blow even slightly, their true colors are revealed.

One thing is absolutely clear. They are no friend to the memory of King or his movement.

Julia D. Stege

Alumna

Art