The Wall of Peace and Love originates in the need to rebuild community after the tragic death of a young man on the 5100 block of South Calumet Avenue in July 2016. Community members came together on July 30, 2016 for a neighborhood march, clean-up, and meeting at Bronzeville Community Garden to find a way to process the trauma and rebuild a sense of community. Jessica Disu, a resident of the block and community peace activist, who organized the march, proposed a neighborhood mural as a unifying activity. With enthusiastic neighborhood support for the proposal, the Build Bronzeville team accepted the leadership for making the mural happen.
We were fortunate to secure the support of Erica Mosely, who volunteered to serve as project manager of the mural development effort. Erica, a neighbor to the block, brought her skills as a management consultant and her passion as an engaged community resident. With Erica's leadership, the large east-facing wall of the building at the SW corner of 51st & Calumet was selected, the building owner's permission was obtained, a budget was established, a request for proposal to mural artists was developed, and candidates were identified and interviewed.
Noted South Side artist Max Sansing was identified and selected as the muralist. Working with Build Bronzeville and neighborhood residents, Max developed the mural motif - a celebration of Black family. Max and his team, painted the 2000 sq. ft. mural in August 2017. On August 26th, just over a year after launch of the effort, the neighborhood came together at our annual 51st Street block party and selected "The Wall of Peace and Love" as its name.
The Wall of Peace and Love is helping transform the look and feel of 51st Street, while the mural project process helped bring our neighborhood together. Many thanks to Jessica Disu and Erica Mosely for their key roles in making it happen, to Max Sansing and his team for their beautiful and inspirational mural, to all of the neighborhood residents and friends who assisted in the process, and to its key financial sponsors: L-Evated Chicago, Southeast Chicago Commission, Alderman Pat Dowell, and Urban Juncture Foundation!
