Local significance

Connection to South Pasadena

This mural is deeply connected to South Pasadena's troubling history and legacy of racism. We included the symbolism of sun rays in the background of the mural to represent the sundown town South Pasadena once was, meaning that people of color were not allowed to stay in the city after the sun had set. It is hard to determine an official end date to this policy, but most estimates are the 1960s, when the federally-funded Altos de Monterey development was constructed and by law had to be open to people of all races.

We hope that by bringing attention to our community's racist past, we can identify how that history influences present inequities and learn how to move forward as an anti-racist city.

Further Local Imagery

We designed this mural with the environment of South Pasadena at the forefront of our minds, which is why the artwork centers around the interactive component. This is a mural for the community. It engages residents with the stories of famous Black figures as well as invites everyone into the struggle for anti-racism. You have a role to play in the Black Lives Matter movement, no matter your race. It is each of our responsibilities to confront our own biases, check our own privilege, and leverage our own power to fight for equity and justice.

Another key local aspect of our mural is the inclusion of BLM protestors Fahren James and London Lang, who were crucial to catalyzing anti-racist conversations in South Pasadena and pushing for concrete reforms. Without their efforts on the ground for hours and days on end, it is unlikely this project would be where it is today, with all the community support it has.

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