Community Heroes
1 media/15-871.jpg 2021-04-05T20:23:51-07:00 Curtis Fletcher 3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e 38706 3 Elliot Pinkney2015 East Hatchway St. Compton, CA 90222
1990 plain 2021-05-18T11:13:33-07:00 USC Digital Library 1990 (Artist) Pinkney, Elliott 33.90781 ,-118.235893 Dunitz, Robin J. Curtis Fletcher 3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e
This page is referenced by:
-
1
media/15-871.jpg
media/15-871.jpg
2021-04-05T20:34:18-07:00
Community Heroes
11
Elliot Pinkney
2015 East Hatchway St. Compton, CA 90222
1990 plain 2021-05-18T15:54:58-07:00 1990 33.90781 ,-118.235893 Elliot Pinkney’s Community Heroes is located in Compton, California, a predominately African American neighborhood. This mural depicts Malcolm X who believed in violence as a method of self-defense, Cesar Chavez who was a Mexican American labor leader, and Martin Luther King Jr. who advocated for peaceful activism. Pinkney often incorporates people of all races “‘so that people can identify’” with the mural. These three figures are also all heroic men who have overcome some racial discrimination and fought for equality successfully. Pinkney also includes the colors of the Pan-Africanism flag as well as the American flag, giving a further sense of pride to the African American community and also presenting the idea that these diverse communities are what America is made of. While the red represents “the blood that unites the African American community,” the black represents the people and the green symbolizes Africa. The flag somewhat represents the culture and origins of Africa, so Pinkney includes the American flag to show the connections between African history to America now.
Unfortunately, the city is known for having a lot of crime and also being a rather impoverished area. The location plays an important part in this piece, because it inspires dignity amongst a community that is often associated with an unpleasant past which has led to negative stereotypes. African American murals often represent a sense of empowerment, pride, or hope, and in this case, Pinkney portrayed very well-known African American historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. These two men played a big role in the fight for the end to segregation and for equal rights for African Americans during the civil rights movement from the 1950s to the 1960s, so their portrayal is very significant as it gives the community in Compton a reminder of their prideful history that led them to the present.
Written by Katlyn Hwang, c/o ‘24
