Legacies: Our Neighbors Lead and Inspire

About the Project

Mural Arts created a new mural located at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center. The mural, Legacies: Our Neighbors Lead and Inspire, was created by Keir Johnston and Ernel Martinez of Amber Art and Design with the support of the Mural Arts’ Rec Crew.  Keir and Ernel were able to incorporate elements from the mural on the front of the building that was done by their colleague, the late Willis Humphrey, which brings cohesion to the whole Rec Center.  The mural is to be dedicated on Saturday, February 22 at 11am.

It honors three neighborhood leaders: Helen Brown, Harold McCoy, and Bruce Webb, who each left their mark on the community.

About those Honored in the Mural

Helen Brown – Helen was a community leader and worked at Project Home for over  25 years as a Community Organizer. She founded the North Philly Footstompers, a nationally ranked youth drill team sponsored by Project Home, which was in existence for 30 years. A community center at 1845 N. 23rd Street was named in her honor.

Bruce Webb – for years Webb owned a record store on Ridge Avenue with a rich history of musicians stopping by to pose for photos with their fans and sign autographs. Along with running his store, Webb was active in the music industry as a promoter, consultant, and record distributor to local radio stations. He was also a photographer for Philadelphia’s oldest free Black newspaper, Scoop USA, for 50 years.

Harold “Malcolm” McCoy was a business owner in North Philadelphia and founder of McCoy’s Auto Service Center on “The Ridge”. The 2300 block of Ridge Avenue between 23rd and 24th Streets was named “Harold Malcolm McCoy Way” to honor his dedication to the North Philadelphia-Ridge Avenue Commercial Corridor.