Mural project celebrates Black trailblazers throughout history

PHOENIX — You've likely seen dozens of murals all around downtown Phoenix celebrating African American trailblazers.

It's all thanks to one Valley woman who has made it her mission to celebrate these movers and shakers and turn each canvas into a classroom.

One by one, Lucretia Torva lines up her brushes. As a painter, they are the vehicle for her voice.

"I love painting portraits," explains Torva. "I believe they honor people that we look up to and respect, but I also really believe in supporting civil rights."

With every paint stroke, Torva is combining activism and art, lending her skills to the Black History Mural Project. Since it started in 2021, organizers say the project is responsible for more than 100 murals across the country, including more than 60 in Arizona alone.

And if these walls could talk, they'd tell the stories of the dozens of men and women described as trailblazers in Black History and American History alike.

Monuments of a movement, like Stokely Carmichael, the portrait Torva is currently working on.

"I kind of put everything in there and make sure it's in the right place then I go back and work on the detail and get it looking more like the person."

Her portraits may not have any words, but they're hardly silent; Her artwork speaks volumes to the thousands of people who pass by every single day.

"There was an older gentleman who looked up at it and said, 'I've never seen me represented that big.'"

And that presentation is the goal, says Gizette Knight, the founder of the Shining Light Foundation.

"Black History isn't just 28 days," explains Knight. "It is 365 - and I think we are doing that work and showcasing it."

The project features iconic heroes of history, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and also lesser-known trailblazers like Wendell Scott.

During our interview, two women passed by to admire the Scott mural, not exactly sure what he was known for. That's when Knight saw an opportunity to educate them and explain the meaning behind his achievements.

"This is what the project is all about," says Knight. "It's a teaching project. It's an educational project...This is what the project is supposed to do."

For Dravon Rangel and Matthew Leyden, a married couple and parents to three young boys, a fun photo session quickly turned into something much deeper.

"For me, they are powerful, incredible, and amazing," says Rangel. "Look at us. We are very diverse. We strive to be a living example of what diversity means."

There is a special mural dedication happening at the Elks Lodge at 1007 S. 7^th Ave. happening Saturday (for the Black Panthers mural Torva was working on in our story). You must register to attend and the deadline is Friday. For more information and to learn more about the Shining Light Foundation, click here.