Grove Hall Mandela Mural Project

The Grove Hall Mandela Mural Project is an attempt to beautify our community utilizing local and home grown initiative and talent.

Local community activist and Hip-Hop artist, Jamarhl Crawford ran a campaign for Boston City Council District 7 and housed a trailer on a vacant lot in Roxbury as Campaign HQ.  The entire story is full of hometown connections as Crawford was only allowed to occupy that space because of his longtime relationship with Shear who owns (Roxbury Rotisserie) and the lot next to the Grove Hall Post Office.

During the campaign as part of giving back to the community and his friend, Crawford began cleaning up the lot and beautifying the area.  It wasn’t long before others joined in. Volunteers started raking leaves and picking up the random litter that is blown in the lot.  Another friend Romero, who owns a tree cutting company came in and cleared out unwanted trees.  Crawford’s neighbor Martha Holley of Holley’s Landscaping came in and did the lawn and left potted plants and flowers.

With a new clear, fresh view of the space it was a no-brainer that the huge wall on the outside of the post office, long used for random tags could be turned into a wonderful community art space.  After the campaign, Crawford began discussions with newly installed Executive Director of the Greater Grove Hall Main Streets, Ed Gaskins about improvements to Grove Hall after an impromptu call in to TOUCH 106.1 fm.  These improvements included plans for a mural on this very wall.

This is where the circle becomes complete.  Crawford has for years been trying to organize local graffiti artists to create art around the city with cultural significance, promoting historical and revolutionary ideas and leaders.  He thought no one was paying attention.  Years after the initial conversation local graf legend DEME 5 came out of the blue and right on time with his artistic contribution.  The timing could not have been more perfect and goes to show how things can come together all in time. Sometimes seeds planted sprout at a time you don’t expect everything comes in its own time and the time for this Mandela Mural Project  is now.

RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THIS…..

INTO THIS…..

This is a perfect tribute to Nelson Mandela after his recent transition to the ancestors and symbolic of his June 1990 visit to Roxbury.

Plans for the mural would also include:
-Removal of the remaining trees (COMPLETED!)
-Removal of the abandoned pay phone next to the post office (COMPLETED!)
-Painting of the electric box

The Grove Hall Mandela Mural Project will be a collaboration between:
Deme 5, artist
Jamarhl Crawford, project coordinator, Blackstonian.com
Ed Gaskins, advisor, Greater Grove Hall Main Streets
Charles Clemons, advisor, TOUCH 106.1 fm
Virginia Morrison, advisor, Grove Hall Neighborhood Development Corporation
Shear Yashuv, advisor, land owner, Roxbury Rotisserie