A small island at the intersection of Mason Street and South Main Street in Woonsocket is home to this memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Today marks the 27th anniversary of the holiday observance of his birthday. Early attempts, primarily by labor unions, to mark the day with a federal holiday failed, however in 1981 over six million signatures were collected on a petition to prompt legislation in Congress. It is believed to be the largest collection of signatures ever presented to Congress. President Reagan signed the holiday bill into law on November 2, 1983. The holiday was first observed on January 20, 1986.
The holiday was not implemented without controversy, however. North Carolina's congressional delegation opposed the day, citing concerns over King's opposition to the Vietnam War and submitted allegations that he was a Communist sympathizer. President Reagan opposed it over cost concerns related to establishing an additional federal holiday. In Arizona, 76% of the people rejected the day, prompting a move by the NFL to switch the location of the 1993 Super Bowl from Arizona to Pasadena, California. Many states were slow to adopt the day. New Hampshire didn't adopt it until 1999, and South Carolina became the last to adopt it in 2000. Mississippi is still a hold-out in that the state shares the holiday with Robert E. Lee's birthday. The irony of that pairing is beyond measure.
Post processing started with a low contrast filter in Topaz B&W FX. I adjusted color sensitivity sliders, followed by adaptive exposure, contrast, boost black, boost white, and protect highlights. A levels adjustment and a brightness/contrast adjustment was added in PSE, followed by a sepia photo filter.
I like all the information you provide....a history lesson, processing details. The photo is B&W which is ironical but suits the subject matter really well. Did you pose the policeman or just grab the shot? Either way, it makes the picture.
@medusa Thanks, Diana! It's good to hear that folks enjoy the commentary. The policeman was not posed. (Most, here, will refuse to cooperate if you ask them to pose.) I was actually taking a series of different shots, and he walked right through my frame, thus turning it into a candid street photography shot!
