Citations:
O'Kane, Caitlin. “Mural Dedicated to George Floyd and Black Lives Matter Painted Outside His High School.” CBS News. CBS Interactive, February 8, 2021. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/george-floyd-black-lives-matter-mural/.
Turner, Re'Chelle. “Yates High School Graduate Bringing Black Lives Matter Mural to Third Ward Community.” KPRC. KPRC Click2Houston, February 5, 2021. https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/02/05/jack-yates-graduate-bringing-black-lives-matter-mural-to-third-ward-community/.
Alexander, Author: Chloe. “Giant Street Mural Dedicated to George Floyd, Black Lives Matter Movement Painted in Front of Yates HS.” khou.com, February 7, 2021. https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/george-floyd-mural-black-lives-matter-yates-high-school/285-22e6f59e-5097-4651-927e-820537009b33
Researched by Sawyer Hammond
Image URL
News Coverage by CBS News and Narcity
Tweet by Veronica Davis on February 08, 2021
Facebook post by Houston Independent School District on February 06, 2021
During the summer of 2020, the nation was in uproar, calling for changes to be made in the way African-American citizens were treated. With the rise of street art and murals addressing these issues, the Independence Heights community was not to be left out.
In June 2020, Independence Heights’ Redevelopment Council director Tanya Debose reached out to the director of the University of Houston Community Design Resource Center Susan Rogers in order to see what could be done. Together, they planned to make a statement by painting a street art mural on Link Road in Independence Heights right off Main Street. To accomplish this, they enlisted the help of local artist Ange Hillz. Ange Hillz is a prolific artist born in Rwanda, who immigrated to the US. A work of his, depicting George Floyd, was featured on the cover of Time magazine on May 10, 2021. In the days leading up to Juneteenth in 2020, the painting of Link Road began.
Spelled out on the street was the message “BLACK TOWNS MATTER”. Being the first African-American town in Texas is a point of pride for the community. To honor this, within the “O” of the original work was a portrait of George O. Burgess, the first mayor of the incorporated city. Today the work is upheld and remains a symbol and statement of the community to all who see it.
Researched by the Urban Art Mapping Team