2025
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William Still and Family
Painted on the historic Philadelphia home of William Still, “William Still and Family” is a powerful mural by artist Ernel Martínez is located in the Queen Village neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The mural honors the enduring legacy of one of the most influential figures of the Underground Railroad.
Still, a prominent abolitionist, author, and civil rights activist, used this very home—shared with his wife Letitia and their children from 1850 to 1855—as a way station to help hundreds of enslaved Africans find freedom. Created in
close collaboration with Still’s descendants, the mural features both William and his daughter, Dr. Caroline V. Still Anderson—the first African American licensed physician in Philadelphia. Though other family members are not
pictured due to the lack of existing images, their contributions remain vital to the narrative. Through vivid storytelling and symbolic imagery, the mural not only commemorates Still’s unwavering commitment to justice and family reunification, as chronicled in his landmark 1872 book The Underground Railroad, but also invites the public to engage with this vital history and carry its lessons of resilience and liberation forward. This mural is part of a
tribute called “Legacy Reclaimed”—paying homage to the 7th Ward’s Black history.
Still, a prominent abolitionist, author, and civil rights activist, used this very home—shared with his wife Letitia and their children from 1850 to 1855—as a way station to help hundreds of enslaved Africans find freedom. Created in
close collaboration with Still’s descendants, the mural features both William and his daughter, Dr. Caroline V. Still Anderson—the first African American licensed physician in Philadelphia. Though other family members are not
pictured due to the lack of existing images, their contributions remain vital to the narrative. Through vivid storytelling and symbolic imagery, the mural not only commemorates Still’s unwavering commitment to justice and family reunification, as chronicled in his landmark 1872 book The Underground Railroad, but also invites the public to engage with this vital history and carry its lessons of resilience and liberation forward. This mural is part of a
tribute called “Legacy Reclaimed”—paying homage to the 7th Ward’s Black history.
