Mural Arts Participates in 29th Annual MLK Day of Service

On January 3, Jane Golden, Mural Arts’ Executive Director, participated in a Press Conference announcing the 29th annual MLK Day of Service at Girard College. The event, presented in partnership with Global Citizen, is the country’s largest annual MLK Day of Service. Mural Arts is pleased to participate in this significant event once again, slated to take place on January 15, 2024.

2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, a law that made it illegal to discriminate against people based on race, color, sex, national origin, and religion. This landmark act made school desegregation possible, prohibited employment discrimination access to public facilities, and provided voting rights.

Additionally, in 1964, the twenty-fourth amendment to the constitution ended the Poll Tax as another barrier to voting by Black Americans.

Mural Arts facilitated the mural-making with four Philadelphia-based schools in response to the 60th anniversary. With teaching artists Priscilla Bell and Dyymond Whipper-Young, students grades 7-10 from Girard College, James Rhoads School, Barrack M. Hebrew Academy, and Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy participated in creating four murals.

Under the guidance of the teaching artists, the students envisioned and interpreted the significance of voter turnout, the importance of voting, and the values of a democracy while engaging in the history of the Civil Rights Movement and its relevance today.

The press event is significant as it marks one of the first appearances of our new Mayor, Charelle Parker, who is just beginning her administration as the 100th to lead the City of Philadelphia. Parker’s mayorship is also notable as she is the first black female to serve as mayor.

“Planning and then painting this mural was enjoyable and ultimately rewarding when we were able to see the progression of our work. Furthermore, this project taught me so much. I felt a connection to our mural through our learning of Freedom Summer and the Jews who fought for the rights of black people. Being able to memorialize the work of two Jewish martyrs who stood for the fight against segregation and unfair voting restrictions was special and close to home. Not only did I learn about Jewish involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, but I also learned patience and how to deal with imperfection. While painting the letters and the black around them, I had to accept if I, or someone else, made a mistake or imperfection, and I learned how to fix it. This also forced me to learn how to step back and appreciate the whole, even if there are minor flaws upon close inspection. This built up my patience and problem-solving, which are important life skills. Working together as a class taught me how to productively navigate a crowded space and how to focus on only what I could control. Dyymond brought expertise and fun to the classroom and improved both the result and the process.” -Student at Barrack Hebrew Academy