When passing through Lexington, I made a point to do a personal tour of murals in the area…read more(something I often do when I visit a new city; I really love murals and public art). This one was a bit off the beaten path, but I'm glad I made the effort to find it because it's important to me to support artists from minoritized backgrounds, and to appreciate the art they create. This mural was painted by Sundiata Rashid, and appears to date from 2016.
The black and white half of this mural features prominent African American figures from Lexington's past, and melds into color to depict the present. Represented on the historical side of the mural are:
- Isaac Burns Murphy: One of the greatest jockeys in the history of horse racing, Murphy was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955 (the first person inducted). He won the Kentucky Derby three times. Though he was born enslaved (Kentucky in the 1800's; there will be a theme here), he began a career in thoroughbred racing at age 14. He became one of the most famous athletes in America, and it's astounding that given this background he's probably little known outside of Kentucky or racing circles.
- William Wells Brown: Born enslaved, he made multiple escape attempts before making it to Ohio, and ultimately settled in Massachusetts. A contemporary of Frederick Douglass, the two had an open rivalry, though interestingly the freedom of each man was paid for by the same supporters in England. He was important as an early example of travel writing, and was the first African American to publish a novel and a play. He also authored what is widely accepted to be the first history of African Americans in the Revolutionary War. Wells Brown is a descendent of a passenger from the Mayflower.
- Les McCann, born in Lexington, came from a musical family: His father was a jazz artist and his mother was a fan of opera. Whilst serving in the navy during WWII, he won a singing contest which landed him a spot on the Ed Sullivan Show and brought him greater attention. A multi-instrumentalist, he established his own trio, known as the Les McCann Trio, with whom he performed for decades. He's collaborated and performed with many artists. Currently in his 80s, McCann is still with us.
- Yvonne Giles is affectionally known as "The Cemetery Lady". A Lexington native, she is a leader in the movement to preserve African American cemeteries in Lexington. She has authored at least one book on one of these cemeteries; produced brochures to raise their profile; and contributed to tourism publications for Lexington. She has won numerous awards for her dedication to this work, including one from the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation--an organization that established an award named in her honor. As of January 2022, Ms. Giles is still doing this work.
- RCO Benjamin wore many hats: journalist; minister; attorney. In fact, he may have been the first Black editor of a white paper when he assumed leadership of the Daily Sun in Los Angeles, as well as possibly having been the first Black member admitted to the California bar. As a lawyer in Lexington, he was working to register Black people to vote and was beaten by a white man who was opposed to this. Though that man was taken to jail, he was let out later the same evening and waited for Benjamin to return home, at which point the man murdered Benjamin. His murderer, having shot Benjamin six times in the back, argued self-defense and was acquitted.
- Mary Ellen Britton was a renaissance woman. A free woman of color, she is the first woman to have been granted a license to practice medicine in Lexington. She received an education, and attended Berea College. She even has a connection with my second hometown of Chicago, where she took classes with the American Medical College but perhaps more interestingly tested the inclusion of the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, as the limited participation of African Americans has led to protests of the fair. Dr. Britton never married nor had children.
The color half of the mural represents the present, and includes children from the neighborhood in which the mural is painted. The thoughtfulness evident in this mural--from the historical figures portrayed to incorporating children from the neighborhood--is moving. I'm so appreciative of Rashid for identifying these folks to include in his mural so I can learn more about them all. I've added books about or by these historical figures so I can learn more about them specifically and the Black history of Lexington and Kentucky more generally. I've just given you six African American people to learn more about, and I hope you join me in doing so.
Review #625
6/2022
