MLK Day Murals

COLLABORATIVE MURALS

In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and the 29th annual MLK Day of Service, I served as a teaching artist collaborating with students from two schools to create a series of murals. The two murals I led focused on Mayor Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia’s first Black woman mayor, and Joanna McClinton, Pennsylvania’s first Black woman Speaker of the House. We also explored themes of Freedom Summer, a 1964 movement that organized voter registration and education for Black Americans in the South. Students played an active role in designing and completing the murals, using art to reflect on the power of their own voices.

For the 30th annual MLK Day of Service, I led two student-designed murals centered on the theme of Beloved Community. One school chose to explore the partnership between Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., highlighting how people from different faiths stood together during the Civil Rights Movement. The second featured the student-chosen phrase, “A person that stands for nothing will fall for anything,” emphasizing the importance of advocacy, values, and standing up for what you believe in. The celebration included Governor Josh Shapiro, Mayor Cherelle Parker, State Senator Vincent Hughes, and Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr., reflecting a shared commitment to civic engagement.