Form and Power: Black Murals in Los Angeles

Untitled

Thomas Suriya’s untitled mural was painted outside the Francisco Sepulveda Middle School. Located in the racially diverse neighborhood of North Hills, this public school comprises students of different ethnicities. There are six historical figures on the top of the mural and several groups of students at the bottom. Starting from the left of the mural we can see Francisco Xavier Sepulveda, Christopher Columbus, an early pioneer woman, a Native American man, an African American woman, and an Asian woman. Each one of them is depicted with distinctive characteristics, such as the suits on Sepulveda and the African American woman’s headscarf, representing their identities and cultures. Below the historical figures are representations of modern-day students that interact with each other and also seem to greet the viewer. Delicate use of shadow and vivid postures made those students so realistic that viewers once misunderstood them as saboteurs damaging the mural. The racial diversity of these students suggest the diversity of the school. This deliberate arrangement reflects the idea of equality of all US citizens regardless of their ethnicities. Suriya’s representation of the American and California flags among the figures also reinforces this idea. The use of light blue as background conveys a sense of serenity, peace, and harmony among the school’s students.

By the 1980s, decades after Brown v. Board of Education (1954) deemed racial segregation in public schools to be illegal, diversity has been greatly improved. This mural was painted to demonstrate the achievements of minorities and to celebrate eliminating inequalities and educational rights. The painting reminds all viewers to appreciate and respect the diversity of race in not only public schools but the entire society. Thanks to the Francisco Sepulveda Middle School, the mural is still well preserved today.

Written by Simon Huang, c/o ‘24

This page has paths:

This page references: