The Privilege of History

  • A wide view of the “Conflict” wall, one half of the entire project. The section on the far left illustrates the Woolworth Diner sit-ins.
  • A detail of Cesar Chavez's protest against unfair labor practices.
  • Opposite the “Conflict” wall is the wall of “Resolution,” illustrating social change through legal resolution.
  • Separate but unequal education was part of the larger issue of segregation in America.
  • As part of the “Resolution” wall, a vignette shows the Presidential signing of a congressionally passed bill.
  • This detail highlights the importance of marches to the Suffrage Movement.

Project Description

Lead Artist Bayunga Kialeuka oversaw a group of youth in the creation of “The Privilege of History,” a mural on two walls of Law Studies High School. For this project, one wall was deemed the “conflict” wall, and the second wall was deemed the “resolution” wall. Principal Monica Ortiz requested a mural on the conflict wall that illustrated a timeline of the following four historical events: The Woolworth Diner Sit-ins, Cesar Chavez's protest against unfair labor practices, the Women's Suffrage Movement, and the Separate-But-Equal Education and Institutional Debate. On the adjacent wall, she wished to see the mechanism to each issue’s legal resolution. The solution wall outlines three images: The Presidential signing of a congressionally passed bill, the judicial argument against unequal social and institutional practices, and the enforcement arm of the legal system. The sharp use of black and warm colors helped differentiate the resolution wall from the opposing conflict tone. The use of cool earth tones on the conflict wall also reflects its time period.

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Project Info

Location: 850 Grand Street Brooklyn, NY 11211
Neighborhood: 
Williamsburg


Program: 
Community Commission


Theme: 
Heritage and History


Year: 
2010


Partner(s): 
Law Studies High School


Lead Artist(s):
Bayunga Kialeuka


Assistant Artist(s):
Jess Poplawski


Participants: 

 

High school students at Law Studies High School
Medium: 
Acrylic on Cement


Dimensions: 8 x 40ft (Two Walls)

Fun Facts

Impact
The participants not only learned about the issues highlighted in the mural, but also about many socio-political and economical reform movements such as the Civil Rights movement, the Women’s Suffrage movement, and Union Rights efforts.
Fun Fact
In 1960, hundreds of students, civil rights organizations, churches, and members of the community in Greensboro joined in a six-month-long protest to successfully desegrate the Woolworth lunch counter, a landmark victory for civil rights.
Fun Fact
In 1954, in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled that African-American children could attend “white only” schools, overturning the Plessey v. Ferguson ruling of “Separate, but Equal” schools.