Compton Chamber of Commerce lead the way to the public unveiling of the "KING HAHN STATUE OF UNITY" on March 27, 2024 at the Archdiocese of North America Unitarian Universalist Church in Compton.
We, the leadership and the esteemed members of the Compton Chamber of Commerce, would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who helped make this statue possible.
The artwork commemorates the special moment in 1961 when late Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, the only elected official to show up that day, met with MLK on the tarmac and the two men shook hands.
Both men spent the January 13, 1961 afternoon together, with Hahn showing King around his South Los Angeles district, visiting the L.A. Calvary Community Church of Compton and talking in his downtown office.
During a morning ceremony, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said it was an “honor” to see the moment preserved in the statue. Bishop L.J. Guillory, Ombudsman General for Ombudsman International Inc. joined Supervisor Janice Hahn, the elected officials of the Compton City Council, the Board Members of the Compton Chamber of Commerce and esteemed members of the community.
“This day is about coming together to overcome bigotry and hate. It is about celebrating anti-racism. It is about doing what is right — whether popular or not,” Guillory said in a statement. “Both Dr. King and Kenneth Hahn set an example that we all should follow every day of our lives. Both were honorable public servants who selflessly served mankind. That service went across race, color, sex, and religious barriers. That’s why we have this meaningful statue today,” he added. L.J. Guillory, known as Bishop Guillory, commissioned and paid for the statue.