Form and Power: Black Murals in Los Angeles

Black Seeds

Moses X. Ball’s Black Seeds mural is situated strategically on Jefferson boulevard and 3rd street, on a wall adjacent to the Leslie Shaw park. The mural captures the history of Afircan Americans, spanning from slavery, to the late 1900s. In 1991, Local resident and community activist Gus Harris Jr. commissioned artist Ball and the Shaw Park Muralists, a collaborative group of local artists, to create a painting that commemorated notable Black figures. The mural contains a massive tree of life with far-reaching branches in the center of the painting, and a depiction of slavery at its base. Each branch dons a portrait of a notable African American figure and collectively serves as a monument for the important contributions and sacrifices made by these individuals. Many of these figures rose to prominence for their struggles to end slavery and their fight for civil rights. Some notable figures depicted are Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.

The Shaw Park Muralists included neighborhood artists David Mosley, Eddie Orr, Norman Maxwell, Michael McKenzie, and Marvin Hunt, who all collaborated on this piece. The group of artists recalled how African American achievements were often excluded from history books in school, and saw this mural as an opportunity to change that. Ball and the Shaw Park Muralists received funds from the Department of Cultural Affairs in the city of Los Angeles. Formed in 1925, the DCA promotes arts and culture as a way to “ignite a powerful dialogue, engage LA’s residents and visitors, and ensure LA’s varied cultures are recognized, acknowledged, and experienced.”

Written by Annas Omar, c/o ‘24

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