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In the top left corner, the three-story "Voting Rights Are Human Rights" mural stands north of the Colby Abbot Building. I chose this piece of art as it highlights the struggles African Americans endured during the Civil Rights Movement. This is particularly important as Milwaukee has a rich history of racial discrimination that disenfranchised African Americans in several sectors such as housing, education, and public participation. This mural accurately depicts the struggles that BIPOC had to overcome with the words "equality", "liberation", and "movement" all representing what they fought toward.
On the bottom left, a mural painted by Brad Bernard sits on the House of Peace in West Milwaukee. This mural is especially captivating as it brings together a diverse group of peoples and religions. In the mural there are pictures of reverends, imam, and female religious leaders. However, one thing that they all share in common is that they are of African American descent. Although they all share different life experiences regarding religion, spiritual beliefs, and philosophies they all share similar identities - Blackness. This is important as it relates to my topic of race and shows that although they are very different, they are still very much the same.
The mural on the right located on 1702 W. Walnut St. is a painting of Fr. James E. Groppi, a Civil Rights activist in Milwaukee, who dedicated his life to desegregating churches, schools, and neighborhoods. He was a Catholic Priest who lived most of his life in Milwaukee and even served as the adviser to Milwauke NACCP. As a white man, he was more respected in society and able to use his privelege to benefit marganalized communities and bring about real social change. During his lifetime he participated in protests and marches advocating for equal rights and youth activism. His work left such a profound impact within communities of color that he is still honored to this day through murals and paintings.
Above is another mural painted by Brad Bernard o the House of Peace. Similar to the mural above this painting depicts famous African American figureheads from the Milwaukee community. Each individual has their own story but have one commonality, their race. This shapes their personal experiences and outlook toward life as race has served as a blessing and a burden. A blessing in the sense that it has helped them form a stronger community with each other and a burden in the sense of the hardships and obstacles that are found within American society. This mural in particular shows the different facets of Blackness and how they all come together to form one big community.
Above I added the "Joshua Glover" mural located on the I-43 freeway underpass. This mural tells the story of a runaway slave who found himself in a Milwaukee jail but was later freed after a mob broke in and rescued him. The rescue of Joshua Glover had serious legislative implications as this event led to the declaration of the Fugitive Slave Act to be unconstitutional. This piece of art is quite interesting as it brings to life the rich history of slavery and discrimination against African Americans in the U.S. By the same token, Milwaukee has rich history regarding African American history and its unique impact throughout history.
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