To work toward a society that is based on justice, equality, and compassion for all members of the human race, to tell the truth about our communities and ourselves, and to dismantle racism and homophobia, Christ the King Church in Valdosta, Georgia, is working on a mural that will provide opportunities to reflect on our successes and failures as a society, to acknowledge the work that still lies ahead, and to heal our world one relationship, one neighborhood, and one community at the time.

The mural, which will be adjacent to Mack’s Park at McKey Street, will display portraits of Saint Anna Alexander (a Saint of the Diocese of Georgia since 1998), Martin Luther King, Jr. (an internationally known civil rights leader and Georgia native), Howard Thurman (an author, theologian, and civil rights leader), Marsha P. Johnson (a nationally known LGBTQ rights activist), and John Lewis (a well-known civil rights leader from Georgia).

Also depicted in the mural will be a tree with a female body representing Mary Turner (a victim of the 1918 Georgia lynching rampage) plus a portrait of Ahmaud Arbery (who was also a victim of racial violence in February 2020). Other portraits include Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, and Maya Angelou.

Weaving across the mural is a rainbow-colored ribbon which in one area displays notes and lyrics from the Billy Holiday song “Strange Fruit” (“Southern trees bear strange fruit”).

Go here for more information on the mural.

Our mural artists are: Taylor Shaw (former VSU art professor) and A’Shadrian Clayton (VSU art student).

Support our mural project on GoFundMe by clicking on this link.