The artist and feminist Elizabeth Catlett is renowned for artworks that center Black American and Mexican experiences, as well as for her radical political activism advocating for civil rights and social justice. This bust of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was created for a competition to commemorate the legendary civil rights leader, who was assassinated in 1968. This was the first time a Black American was to be permanently represented in the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC.

Following her move to Mexico in 1947, Catlett’s political activism led to her being investigated by the F.B.I. and C.I.A. She renounced her US citizenship in 1962 and became a Mexican citizen. The final report for the Capitol commission notes that Catlett was disqualified from the competition because of her citizenship status. Catlett’s vision of a majestic and commanding Dr. King underscores his living legacy as a catalyst for social and economic change.