Martin Luther King Jr. mural in danger of being replaced, community upset

Martin Luther King Jr. mural Flickr | 7beachbum

Brian Jenkins, Chosen 300 Ministries Executive Director, held a rally on Friday. They protest against the possible removal of Martin Luther King Jr.'s mural at 40th Street and Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia.

Preserving the Image in the Mural 

Full Court Development plans to build a three-story building in the lot they bought next to the MLK mural. The planned construction angers the community because it will block the mural.

Brian Jenkins said they want to protect the image in the mural because it is the remembrance of MLK's visit to Philadelphia in 1965. They are not against the construction of the building. 

Instead, they just want to preserve the image in the mural. According to him, Full Court Development can take the other side of the building by not blocking the mural, according to the MSN report. 

New MLK Murals 

The satellite campus of Stockton University in Atlantic City, together with local artists, posted a three-story mural. The mural showcases photos of three well-known people. One of the photos is of Martin Luther King, a young Martin Luther picture, and  Fannie Lou Hamer.

This mural, along with another, was completed to commemorate the NAACP national convention's return this month. These are all 1960s photos from Atlantic City, according to the source

Zach Katzen is one of the artists who took part in the project. Katzen is the owner of Create 48, a long-time resident in the area, and an organizer promoting public art and community mobilization. 

Micaela Levesque for Rise Up for Arts newest murals features Black greatness in Connecticut. The mural can be found at Primo Press at 106 Riverside Ave.

The mural showcases Black local and national leaders who fight against racism and equality. One of the murals is of MLK.

The mural conveys a strong message of racial equality, and the artist believes it will shed light on the communities where social justice issues are important.   

Black Studies In La Salle University 

La Salle University offers a minor in Black Studies to its 3,300 undergraduate students, which is available on hold due to the pandemic.

Black Studies will focus on addressing racism and social injustices, and students can choose various topics they are interested in.

Systemic racism, social justice, and other social-related topics will be among the topics covered in the program as they correspond to members of the Black diaspora in America. 

La Salle University's School of Arts and Sciences. Dean Pamela Barnett said that it provides students with a curriculum that reflects La Salle University's diversified, fair, and comprehensive campus community.

Barnett added that the students must completely understand racial issues in the US and Latin America. She said that they want to meet the needs of their Black students. 

Barnett's goal is to deliver a complete understanding to students of the society they live in and how to make it a better place. She also wants to break the system of racism and social injustice. 

According to the source, the university is one of the most ethnically and racially diverse schools.

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