Positioned at the center of the ±«Óãtv, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza is both the literal and symbolic heart of the Tampa campus.
Located between the Phyllis P. Marshall Student Center and the John & Grace Allen Building, MLK Plaza is visited and passed through by thousands of students, staff, faculty and visitors every day. The monument gives people a place to sit and reflect on the lasting legacy of the civil rights leader.
Built in 1995 as part of the university’s campus master plan, the plaza was constructed using $1.8 million in student fee funds. It’s comprised of a bust of Dr. King overlooking a reflecting pool with five granite bands shooting from its base, pointing toward cities where important events happened in Dr. King’s life. On the far end of the pool, a granite structure is inscribed with a large portion of his famous I Have a Dream speech.
The plaza is a daily reminder to Bulls of the immeasurable impact Dr. King had on the civil rights movement and America.
In celebration of this year’s MLK Day on Monday, Jan. 15, ±«Óãtv’s Office of Multicultural Affairs has organized a week’s worth of events, culminating with the MLK Commemorative Luncheon on Friday, Jan. 19. To see a full list of the ±«Óãtv and related community events, including Tampa’s 29th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Parade, click here.
Video by Freddie Coleman, ±«Óãtv Health Communications.