MLK Image Used in Stripper Flyer
A graphic designer in Miami is under heavy scrutiny after a flyer promotion for a local strip club featuring an image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in an inappropriate setting caused a public outcry.
Jeffrey Darnell Paul, the graphic designer in question, owns South Side Graphix. He designed the flyer for a local strip club's "I Have a Dream Bash" which featured an image of King holding a handful of cash surrounded by women dressed provocatively in the background, as reported by NBC.
The flyer inevitably made it on the internet and quickly gathered a number of angry people calling for the removal of the flyer and demanding an apology.
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"I wasn't trying to disrespect anybody...it wasn't on my mind that it would escalate to something like this," Paul told NBC.
He continued to explain that it was just to draw people to the event, "It was just supposed to be a promotional thing, it wasn't about disgracing Martin Luther King, it wasn't about that."
The event was originally scheduled to be held at The Office strip club on King's birthday. "It was proposed to me like a birthday bash for Martin Luther King, I put a flyer together without thinking about the effects it would have," Paul said.
Due to the outpouring of opposition the event was subsequently canceled. Management for the club said they did not know what the flyer looked like until after it came out.
“This is the owner's first time seeing it," manager Jermaine Robinson said. "So we don’t condone this. This is Martin Luther King. We respect what he did. Today is the day for us to honor him,” according to reporters.
Robinson, when speaking to NBC, thought the flyer was "definitely disrespectful, to be honest with you."
Paul is shouldering the full blame of his actions. "I apologize about it, I'm taking full responsibility…I'm not going down that route again."
