Uptown Charlotte’s Marshall Park is on track for a dramatic transformation, with Jewish and Black community leaders rolling out plans for a new memorial plaza called the Circle of Humanity. The project would reframe the area around the existing Martin Luther King Jr. statue and add a newly commissioned Holocaust monument, turning the space into what organizers describe as both a teaching corridor and a quiet place to sit with some very big history. If fundraising and permits fall into place, they are aiming to cut the ribbon in May 2027.
Artists and the Chosen Work
To figure out what this new centerpiece should look like, organizers launched a national search that pulled in 57 proposals. After reviewing the field, a selection committee tapped Durham artists David Wilson and Stephen Hayes to create a memorial titled "In Transit: The Weight of Absence." Their winning idea, one of two finalists asked to refine designs, is meant to spark “a conversation across generations and cultures,” the artists told officials, according to The Forward.
Design and Symbolism
Early renderings show a two-sided monument that calls to mind rail cars and tracks. On one side, figures reach outward from a stylized car; on the other, the visual lines draw visitors toward imagery evoking Auschwitz and the stark inscription, “They were here. We remember.” Project organizers say the layered imagery is intentional, designed to hold multiple meanings about loss, forced removal and the stubborn human reach for connection, as described in coverage by Jewish Post.
Partners, Price Tag and the County
The effort is being led by the Stan Greenspon Holocaust Education Center and Queens University, working alongside the Charlotte Black/Jewish Alliance, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP and Mecklenburg County. County commissioners got a briefing on the plan in June. Organizers say the full package — the new memorial, upgrades to the Selma Burke–designed MLK statue, educational kiosks, outreach advertising and an endowment to keep everything maintained — is projected to come in just under $1 million, with that same May 2027 dedication target. The county’s public information page confirms the Board of County Commissioners received the presentation, while The Charlotte Observer reported the budget figure and noted that the county is not currently slated to put money into the project.
What the Plaza Will Include
The overall design concept, called "Woven Histories," is meant to literally and figuratively connect the MLK statue with the new Holocaust memorial. Plans call for stone walkways, benches, decorative “book” elements and informational kiosks geared toward school groups and guided tours, a scope detailed on the project’s site. Seating, fabrication and landscape integration are laid out in the public RFQ documents from PublicArtist, along with additional materials from Queens University.
Community Feedback and Response
Organizers did not sketch this out in a vacuum. They held more than a dozen community sessions at synagogues, Black churches and Johnson C. Smith University, ultimately hearing from roughly 850 people through dialogues and surveys that helped shape the imagery. Committee members say many attendees responded viscerally when the "In Transit" concept was revealed, and project leaders have stressed that on-site education about Black-Jewish history will be central to how the plaza is used. Those gatherings and the selection process were reported by The Forward.
For now, the big hurdle is money. Fundraising is ongoing, with a dedicated giving option set up through Queens University and the Stan Greenspon Center. Organizers say they hope to start fabrication once major gifts and permits are secured. As the Circle of Humanity team pushes toward its May 2027 goal, they plan to keep community outreach going; donors can find giving details and contact information through the Queens University project page and Stan Greenspon Center materials.
