Unveiled by the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the bronze monument with a cast stone base was designed by Mario Chiodo, an Oakland-based sculptor. It will cost $4.5 million, a cost to be borne by private donors, including Kaiser Permanente.

"I wanted to build a monument to honor humanitarians," Chiodo said.

Fifty-two feet long, 28 feet high and 22 feet wide, "Remember Them: Masters of Humanity" will be the centerpiece of a new park in the 665-unit "uptown" development, under construction between 17th and 20th streets and Telegraph and San Pablo avenues.

"I can't think of a more appropriate place for the work," Chiodo said, saying he was pleased it would be near the Fox Theater, which is scheduled to be renovated. Eventually, city officials hope to turn that part of downtown Oakland into an arts and entertainment district.

People featured on the monument include Abraham Lincoln, Maya Angelou and Csar Chvez, "role models who demonstrated remarkable courage and conviction in their quest to better the living conditions of their fellow human beings," Chiodo said.

The overall monument is designed in the shape of a double helix, the shape of every person's genetic building blocks, DNA.

The monument will face 19th Street and will complement the proposed location for the future Museum of Children's Art and the theater. A plaza will feature oak trees, trellises and an informal seating area for small groups and informal lectures.

There are plans to develop a curriculum, movie, commemorative book and Web site about the monument, a copy of which will travel to various cities. A duplicate of the original concept artwork will be sent to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., which helped develop the monument.

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