Black Excellence Street Mural, Cleveland Heights, OH

Jimmy Hayden, Wayne Pollard, and Gabe Crenshaw

Black Excellence Street Mural, Cleveland Heights, OH

41.507593, -81.578575

Embedded in the words “Black Excellence” are images of authors Langston Hughes and Toni Morrison; Oscar-winning actor Halle Berry; athletes LeBron James, Jesse Owens and James’ agent Rich Paul; scientist Garrett Morgan; and elected officials Carl Stokes, Louis Stokes and Stephanie Tubbs-Jones.

The mural also gives a nod to the community with the inclusion of the words “Tiger Nation” and the logos of the City of Cleveland Heights and community group Safer Heights.

The Black Excellence Street Mural, located in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, was created on Sept. 26, 2020, by local artists Jimmy Hayden and Wayne Pollard, along with Heights Libraries board member Gabe Crenshaw in an effort to honor Black excellence in the city. The mural was painted on the parking lot of the Coventry PEACE Campus, at the intersection of Coventry and Euclid Heights Boulevard, a street corner and park that is significant to the local Black community. The mural was organized by the Heights Libraries and the FRIENDS board, who collaborated with local artists, to bring the vision of the mural to life. 

The mural has been met with a positive response from the community, with many taking to social media to express their appreciation for the artwork. It has been widely shared and has become a popular destination for those wishing to pay tribute to the mural, with many taking photos in front of it. The mural still stands representing black excellence, and it has not been vandalized but has been amended to include the names of people who lost their lives to police brutality or have etched their names in history through their achievements.  

The mural was created as a way to celebrate Black excellence to serve as a reminder of the strength of the Black community and to evoke feelings of joy and pride. It features portraits of Black celebrities such as Halle Berry and LeBron James and the names of people who died due to police brutality. The mural includes the words “Tiger Nation” and the logos of the City of Cleveland Heights and community group Safer Heights, and still stands representing the black excellence. It has become a place to pay homage to the lives of those who have been lost, while also celebrating the accomplishments of those who continue to make a lasting impact.  

Sources: 

1. cleveland.com, Jeff Piorkowski/special to. “PEACE Park Lot Sports New ‘Black Excellence’ Mural: Press Run.” Cleveland, 9 Oct. 2020, www.cleveland.com/community/2020/10/a-new-mural-on-the-coventry-peace-park-lot-a-virtual-jewish-federation-super-sunday-oct-18-more-press-run.html.  

1. Banks, Sheryl. “Heights Libraries Board and FRIENDs of Heights Libraries Create ‘Black Excellence’ Mural.” Heights Libraries, 6 Oct. 2020,  heightslibrary.org/heights-libraries-board-and-friends-of-heights-libraries-create-black-excellence-mural/ 

Researched by Srajan Pillai 

Image URL

News Coverage by Cleveland.COM

Artists: Jimmy Hayden, Wayne Pollard, and Gabe Crenshaw

Photographer: Donte Washington

Urban Art Mapping Research Project

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Located on Coventry PEACE Park Campus Parking Lot