Town Square

The Healing Power Of Art

The Black Lives Matter artist intends his work to be like “medicine in baby food” and uses vibrate colors in public spaces to spread a message of healing and unity.

Brenda Valdivia

| February 5, 2021, 5:20 PM

A concept design of the Black Lives Matter mural by Jonah Elijah in the Third Ward. The location was chosen as a memorial to the late George Floyd, a Yates High School alum.

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Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, questions@townsquaretalk.org or @townsquaretalk.

First, Vaughn Dickerson and Herbert Mouton, co-founders of 88 C.H.U.M.P (Communities Helping Underprivileged Minorities Progress), walk us through the beginnings of the organization named in honor of their friend and former classmate, George Floyd, with his football jersey number. The organization worked to bring the mural in front of Yates High School after being inspired by similar murals in Washington D.C.

Then, Dr. Assata Richards, public sociologist and founding director of the Sankofa Research Institute and Jonah Elijah, public space artist in charge of designing the Black Lives Matter mural, discuss the impact of art in public spaces and the weight that communities carry after the violent death of a loved one.

“The Glass Key” by René Magritte sits in the surrealist Menil Collection.

And a caller shares his life-changing experience with a painting in The Menil Collection.

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

Audio from today’s show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps.