The 11-foot bronze piece, titled The Ripple, shows Dr. King holding a book in one hand with his other arm extended. The monument was the result of a years-long collaboration between a sculptor and a city-appointed committee meant to honor King’s legacy — and the Black families who once lived in the neighborhood where the park now stands. But when the cover came off, reactions were mixed. While some praised the bold, stylized look, others blasted it for not resembling King closely enough. Social media lit up with side-by-sides and snark, with critics calling it “unrecognizable.” The sculptor defended the work in a statement, saying the statue was never meant to be hyper-realistic but rather to embody King’s spirit and message. Certain features — like the oversized shoes, head, and arm — were deliberately exaggerated to highlight symbolism, visibility from a distance, and the “weight of knowledge” carried in the book he holds. For supporters, The Ripple symbolizes strength, resilience, and approachability. For critics, it’s yet another entry in the internet’s long-running list of “botched statues.”