All That You Can Be
1 media/15-1098.jpg 2021-04-05T20:24:03-07:00 Curtis Fletcher 3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e 38706 4 Elliot PinkneyCompton
1990 plain 2021-05-18T11:06:18-07:00 USC Digital Library 1990 (Artist) Pinkney, Elliott Dunitz, Robin J. Curtis Fletcher 3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e
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All That They Can Be
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Elliot Pinkney
Compton
1990 plain 2021-05-18T15:53:03-07:00 1990 Elliot Pinkney’s Compton mural, All That You Can Be celebrates Black history while imagining a future for the next generations. Pinkney embodies the different career pathways Black people now have the ability to take that they weren’t afforded in history through the use of positive representation. These occupations include science, arts, and other trades. With the support of the Social and Public Art Resource Center’s (SPARC) Neighborhood Pride Program, Pinkney was given a platform to use Black excellence and creativity to inspire youth of color. The mural creates an opening of opportunities for Black and Latinx youth. In the mural, the arms reaching out take over the painting and express a life force similar to a tree. At the root of the tree is a family and a baby, which show that at the beginning of life children have endless possibilities. The arms branching out hold the tools of different professions including paint brushes, a beaker, a wrench, and the scales of justice all showcasing potential careers.
This mural fights against the stereotypes that we have learned about Black people. Through the painting, Pinkney dismantles the idea that Black men are not valued father figures and shows that both girls and boys can be whatever they want to be. In the center of the painting, we see a Black father holding his baby, showcasing hope and pride. At one end of the painting a young girl is spotlighted with a butterfly which signifies transition and celebration. On the other end a young boy is shown in a yellow shirt which manifests optimism and clarity. In this sense, the mural’s themes are consistent with the goals of The New Negro movement in the early 1920’s. Championed by Alain Locke, this was a key component of Black history where Black people began to tell their own stories and show pride in their heritage.
Written by Sy’Naeh Shell, c/o ‘24
