Chattanooga Through Murals

William “Uncle Bill” Lewis came to Chattanooga (called Ross’s Landing at the time) in 1837 as a slave. He founded and built a blacksmithing business and bought his wife’s, mother’s, borother’s, sister’s, and his own freedom with the revenue. He was a large figure in early Chattanooga and pioneered The Big 9, paving the way for musicians and artists to thrive in the community.

Not long after, in 1865, E.O. Tade established the first free public school. The institution, Howard School, still exists today because of the efforts and funding of Rev. E.O. Tade. In addition, he served as Hamilton County’s first superintendent of education and black congregational minister. 

“From the late 1800s to the late 1960s, the five-block stretch of Chattanooga’s Ninth Street bustled with dozens of Black-owned movie theaters, grocery stores, and nightclubs, earning it the nickname “the Big Nine,”’ National Geographic states. Since the 1960’s— due to urbanization and changes over time— only a few of The Big 9’s businesses remain. One of them is the Live and Let Live Barber Shop, which was opened in 1931 and still operates today. The side of the barbershop features a mixed media mural depicting thirteen musicians famous in the 1920’s and 1930’s. These include: Bessie Smith, Sam Gooden, Fred Cash, Valaida Snow, Cora “Lovie” Austin, Clyde Stubblefield, Jimmy Blanton, and Lenell Glass. Nearby, you can find the First Baptist Church, established in 1866. Martin Luther King was denied a job as a minister there due to lack of experience. 

Bessie Smith is a large part of Chattanooga music history. She was born on April 15, 1894. She was nicknamed both “Empress of the Blues” and “Queen of the Blues” and was the most popular female blues singer of the 1930’s. Coming from humble beginnings singing on the street corners of Chattanooga for money, she quickly rose to fame and began performing in venues around the world. The city celebrates her widely and murals dedicated to her still line the streets today.

The mural “We Will Not Be Satisfied Until” by Meg Saligman, which depicts Chattanooga’s past, present, and future, is the largest artistic installment in the city, sizing up to about 42,179 square feet. It stretches over all four walls of the AT&T Building in downtown Chattanooga and is obviously very, very hard to miss. It is one of 5 of the largest murals in the nation, and a jewel in the crown of the city. Besides that, it conveys an extremely strong message about racism, and a path towards equality in the present and future. The people featured in the murals are real residents of Chattanooga that represent different aspects of the city and its many layers. The Chattanooga Times Free Press notes that “The mural required 1 year of planning and research and 6 months of painting from first sketch to final stroke.” The mural was completed in 2015 and has remained in great quality and color since then.

Another mural of significant importance is located on the side of Chattanooga’s Champy’s Chicken. The mural, entitled “We Shall Not Be Moved”, was painted by 100 people (60 of them being students) and was completed in 2013. This mural illustrates an actual sit-in that took place on February 19, 1960. During this nonviolent protest, teenage Howard High School students held sit-ins in various segregated diners and restaurants across Chattanooga. These sit-ins aided numerous civil rights struggles and were successful in the destroying of the anti-African American motions and laws put in place to prohibit black people from being served in public places. 

Many Martin Luther King murals decorate Chattanooga as well. These paintings pay tribute to the internationally known figure, praising him for his resilience, strength, and passion. Change everywhere can be attributed to him, and the city’s artwork definitely shows that.