 This amazing piece of art behind me by by our very own Isha Charles tells the story of the African-American business community in Columbia before the end of segregation of thriving amazing community just to the west of me of Washington Street Where there were African-American entrepreneurs? My name is Isha Charles I am a self-taught artist here from Columbia, South Carolina and also a muralist as you see behind me This is the Black Wall Street mural. This was something that was buried in history as far as our history Because I didn't even know we had a Black Wall Street So to create something recreating something that had already been here has been a huge accomplishment and great thing for me to do Miss Charles has captured the essence The vibrancy and the substance of the African-American movement in the city of Columbia this mural Sort of signifies and symbolizes the struggles of opportunity It is amazing That folk would remember this symbol Just thrilled that our mayor and council had the thoughtfulness to do such a project that I think for years to come will pay tribute to African-American culture and the history That our wonderful city has had for all these years the inspiration for commissioning the murals I think came from Mayor Benjamin who who wanted to present Murals that represented the African-American experience in Columbia that led to a conversation I think by city council as a whole along with Dr. Bobby Donaldson as we thought about the Significance of the placement of that building fortunate one that corner was the gateway to the African-American business district The eleven hundred the ten hundred and the nine hundred blocks of Washington Street bringing history African-American history To the doorsteps of our communities to help educate our young people and help them understand the history that has taken place I think was very impactful. So we're excited about this and looking forward to adding not just to the physical beauty aesthetic beauty of Columbia for years to come but also telling our story in the way that we Want our story told our story matters and this is a part of that story Today as you can tell behind me the families here from Sally Mae Fleming Brown Who decided one day that she wasn't gonna sit in the back of the bus and said she just wasn't gonna do it And didn't she opened up the gateway for the court case for Rosa Parks a lot of times We're bringing the meaning to places that we go really connecting with the community in this case There was already a really profound story of Sarah Mae Fleming And we're honored that we got to be a small part in helping tell that story on a community-wide scale We wanted to bring a life to bring a movement to this story Because we think it's still a story that is very much still living So there's a famous case called Fleming versus SCENG that it's filed 17 months Before the famous incident of Rosa Parks and so while many in this country know the piracy and work of Rosa Parks very few know of the precedent case of Sarah Mae Fleming I was sort of the lead in using a similar process to what one Columbia uses for all of its public art projects and I've learned more about her as a person through this process and I find that Really interesting how sort of self-sufficient she was These four pieces of art Tell the amazingly challenging Sometimes painful but beautiful story of the African seed and the American Sun right here in Columbia, South Carolina It allows an opportunity For our young people to be able to engage in African-American history where they live for some They may never go to a museum or they may never go to an art gallery, but they're gonna come to a local gym They're gonna come to a local Recreation facility and at that point we reach them where they are so we're excited about this opportunity to educate We're excited about this opportunity to be able to share history African-American history to those young people that may not get Opportunities to be exposed to this type of information So we're grateful to our mayor we're grateful to our city council We're grateful to our city manager for endorsing and supporting this process this mural The moment ten years after Brown vs. Board where these children were in the vanguard of Bringing Columbia into the 20th and 21st century. It's powerful. It's even more powerful to have some of the young people They're been here with us today and a wonderful example how Together we tell the real story of Columbia in a way that edifies and brings people together a conversation took place about What locations the city might have available and that kind of developed into looking at that area and that neighborhood and Exploring what kinds of civil rights activities or photos might exist as we thought about the history of rosewood in its Connection to civil rights. I was reminded of a powerful photograph that was featured in the New York Times in September of 1964 and so we shared that photograph with an artist and in Valencia Park now There's a powerful rendering of that photograph that captures young men and women as they entered the doors at Rosewood Elementary in the fall of 1964 they are among the first African-American students to desegregate Columbia schools in 1964 I'm really humbled to be given an opportunity to shine a light on these kids who I can't imagine What that must have felt like at that young age to walk up there these past couple years I've been You know, I've noticed that Though we have made some progress we still have a long way to go and I'm just really humbled to to be able to add something That is shines a light on the black community and and I want you know I think it's very important that that the black and brown community in Columbia see themselves Everywhere and feel like they're part of this community because you are I can still remember that day walking up the stairs Little frayed little excited, but you know what they expect That was 57 years ago Just Didn't realize the impact One of the things that we're doing was we wanted to ensure that we had representation From each council district. So these murals are depicted in all four districts Which is very very exciting the whole city of Columbia Parks Foundation initiative Murals in all districts. It's just been amazing to really talk about the history past present future From Main Street to every street That history is future generations So everything that we do to this like what the mayor says adds to our story and The more people we can make aware of our story I think just really creates a cohesiveness We're all part of this Really quilt that is Columbia This mural brings education To our community it brings education to the doorsteps of our community and highlighting Some significant African-Americans that contribute to society in a profound way Hyatt Park is historically a white part that actually practice segregation and as we thought about the changing demographics of that area Several people came to mind who lived in the proximity of the North Main area One person was named Benjamin J. Mack. Mr. Mack once lived on Monticello Road He once lived in an area called Ridgewood Mr. Mack was a very active member of the Ridgewood Baptist Church But he's probably best known as a staunch civil rights activist Who developed a program in collaboration with a woman named Septima Clark of what was called citizenship schools Deacon Mack and Ms. Clark Recognize that African-Americans were being deprived of the right to vote and so they engage in a campaign To prepare African-Americans about the purpose of voting how to register to vote and then going out to vote And so the mural on the Hyatt Park wall Pays tribute to Benjamin Mack a man who lived in that community It pays tribute to Septima Clark who Dr. King called the mother of the civil rights movement And it also pays tribute to a pioneering journalist whose name was Lister Belt Middleton. Mr. Middleton Lived on the Hyatt Park area He was the producer of a pioneering television show called for the people and in that show He showcased African-American history. He showcased African history So now the young men and women who enter Hyatt Park will know more about the important roles of Benjamin J. Mack Septima points at Clark and Lister Belt Middleton It means a lot that the work that he did because he dearly loved his people and He loved putting out the African and the African-American history and getting the truth of that out to people So to have this honor to have him more like this means a lot to us Long before the birth of this country Long before the birth of this city the African-American community has been actively involved in helping build the culture and in the in the economy of Columbia, South Carolina these murals tell that story I love this mural in particular because of the role that Lister Belt Middleton played in my Development as a young man as a young man trying to understand his place in space in the world He's a contemporary He was a leader and educator. He's a strong man Who who made sure that we all understood the internal power that we all had We were able to lift up the names of these ancestors these Community members that have been leaders here in Hyatt Park and celebrate black history of Hyatt Park It's a way of saying thanks also to People who have honestly touched other people's lives Seeking nothing in return Helping to a lot of times make a difference in those people's lives. We're fortunate that you know, we're adding we're able to add murals in city parks that are actually located within neighborhoods and We I think that it is important that murals and other forms of public art be added to neighborhoods because I think you can add so much to the character of a neighborhood and really represent what a neighborhood is all about showcase them and their identity as a community and also Increase the amount of people that may be spread beyond the downtown area to seek out of a car and hear the stories of Columbia Beyond just the downtown core