The ongoing effort to raise funds for monuments to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in both Benton Harbor and St. Joseph got a boost Thursday with an open house in Benton Harbor. A steady stream of people stopped by the African American History and Literature Gallery throughout the day to learn about the Unified Civic Monuments Project and to donate. Project organizer Sharon Brown told us they’re more than 70% of the way to their $850,000 fundraising goal. They want to get started on construction this year.
“We’re pretty anxious,” Brown said. “We’re so close. I think there’s only a third left to do, and there are some matching funds getting ready to happen. Because of where we live in Michigan, with the seasons, you want to get as much as you can done before that snow comes again. I think that’s kind of what makes us anxious about it.”
The goal is to unveil the monuments next year. The monuments will be installed at Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park in Benton Harbor and at the Upton Arboretum in St. Joseph. Brown says people have been supportive of the idea, especially when they know that they themselves are stakeholders. You can find out more at UnifiedMonuments.org.
