Informed, Empowered

  • Banners that read “We Are Not Government Issued” and “Arm Yourself with the Knowledge to Think for Yourself” stream along the wall.
  • The team chose their theme due to personal interest and developed it through research sessions with guest speakers from Iraq Veterans Against the War, Service Women’s Action Network, American Friends Service Committee, and the United Nations.
  • The team became very close, engaging in substantive discussions with one another about the serious issues raised by the mural subject.
  • Depicted here is a woman wielding a paintbrush instead of a gun. She resonates deeply with the mission of Voices Her’d.
  • The participants line up during the dedication ceremony, which was well attended due in part to the interest generated by the mural’s topic from the media.
  • Voices Her’d Visionary Elizabeth Maroney explained, “Our mural is a creative tool that we are using to capture the attention of New Yorkers, and is intended to show that women and teens have a variety of options for their future aside from joining the military.”

Project Description

“Informed, Empowered” was created in 2008 as part of Groundswell’s Summer Leadership Institute by a group of young women participating in our Voices Her’d Visionaries program. During a spring seminar, Groundswell youth who exhibited leadership potential were invited to discuss several issues pertaining to young women in the world today. Many of the young artists wanted to address the issue of military recruiting and the targeting of youth in low-income areas. As a result of the No Child Left Behind Act 2001, military recruiters have access to high school students’ personal contact information, enabling them to approach young people not only in their schools but also within their own homes. Using a visual style inspired by wartime propaganda posters from around the world, the mural portrays three strong young women poised in classic military poses, armed not with violent weapons but with tools of creation and education. The mural attracted a great deal of interest from both the public and news outlets and will continue to make a bold statement for years to come.

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Project Info

Location: 713 3rd Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11232

Fun Facts

Quote
“They say there’s not a draft, but when they say they can’t afford to fund college because 40 percent of our tax dollars go to war, a lot of youths feel stuck.” – Katie Yamasaki, Lead Artist
Question about the Mural
How many parachutes are painted in the mural?
Research
Even with a diploma, one in five high school students fail to qualify for enlistment in the Army based on their Armed Forces Qualification Test score.