Photo by Bill Bittar
Before.
Photo by Bill Bittar
After!
Sunlight peeked through the rain clouds Saturday as a large crowd gathered in front of Ansonia City Hall to celebrate the unveiling of a bronze bust of The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Diane Stroman, a retired executive from TEAM Inc. who will be receiving the Nick Collicelli Legacy Community Leader Award next month, led the crowd in a countdown before Mayor David Cassetti pulled off the cloth for the unveiling.
Cheers erupted when the likeness of the late civil rights leader came into view.
“We’ve been working on this for three years and today is the realization of a dream,” said The Rev. Alfred L. Smith Jr., senior pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church.
New Britain is the only other Connecticut town with a bust of Martin Luther King, but David Morgan, president and CEO of TEAM Inc., says Ansonia’s is one of a kind.
The bronze bust weighs more than 500 pounds. It is displayed on a black granite pedestal, boosting it nine feet off the ground, Morgan said.
“People should feel a tingle at seeing this incredible prophet for freedom and humanity that Dr. Martin Luther King was,” Morgan said. “This is a physical reminder.”
Brandon Richards, a freshman at Ansonia High School, sparked the idea for the $27,000 bust while speaking before a packed house at Macedonia Baptist Church during a Martin Luther King Day Celebration three years ago.
Smith presented Richards with a certificate of appreciation at Saturday’s ceremony.
Smith served on the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bust Committee, which included members of community churches and TEAM Inc.
The committee tapped local sculptor Vasil Rakaj, an internationally known artist whose works appeared at the White House, Buckingham Palace and the Vatican, to create the bust.
Rakaj, who was born in Boga, Albania, now lives in Ansonia and is an active member of the Valley Arts Council on Main Street.
“My language isn’t enough to explain how I feel today, but I feel great,” Rakaj said with a smile. “I thank God to be able to make a sculpture of such a great man.”
Rakaj said he was also grateful to work with area pastors and Mayor Cassetti on the project.
The Valley N.A.A.C.P. and TEAM Inc. were also instrumental in the project.
Morgan said TEAM served as the fiscal agent, volunteering, seeking donations and applying for grants from the Valley Community Foundation and the Katharine Matthies Foundation.
On Saturday, The Rev. Edward Barnes, of Greater Evangelical Temple C.O.G.I.C., led the ceremony, which featured music from the Ansonia High School Choir and recitations of King’s own words from Joel E. Smilow Boys and Girls Club students Bondele Codrington, Kaniya Dangerfield and Navaeh Sorrentino.
Cassetti and other dignitaries made remarks, including State Rep. Kara Rochelle (D‑104th), State Sen. George Logan (R‑17th), Morgan and Greg Johnson, president of the Ansonia N.A.A.C.P.
An invocation was given by The Rev. Ophelia Smith, pastor of St. Andrews Tabernacle of Praise, and a benediction by The Rev. Samuel Levey, pastor of Williams Temple Community Outreach.
Morgan said the committee’s work did not end with the unveiling of the MLK bust, adding his hope for an event before it every year.
“We’re very proud of this monument, but we won’t spike the ball and do a touchdown dance,” he said. “This is history in the making. This is a catalyst for every year. We want people to remember the messages and convictions of Martin Luther King Jr.”
