OLD LYME/NEW LONDON — This Sunday, May 22, Public Art for Racial Justice Education (PARJE) will unveil their Sister Mural at Fulton Park in New London.
The ceremony, which will be emceed by radio personality and PARJE Co-Chair Eddie Long, will start at 2 p.m. and run until 3 p.m.
The mural is part of the Sister Murals Project sponsored by PARJE, which was officially launched March 1, 2021. PARJE utilizes the broad appeal of art and education to confront racial injustice.
Titled, ‘Navigation, Safety and Service,’ the program will include words from New London Mayor Michael Passerro and New London Poet Laureate Josh Brown.
The mural was designed and created by Marvin Espy.
Public Art for Racial Justice Education is a broad-based, interracial, non-partisan, non-sectarian group consisting of volunteers from various communities around the shoreline region. These communities include Old Lyme, Lyme, Old Saybrook, East Lyme, Essex, Deep River, Norwich and New London.
Building partnerships with surrounding communities is an additional focus of the group’s stated mission.
The origins of the group can be traced back to the tragic killing of George Floyd in May 2020. Shortly after that, when the nation was still reeling from the tragedy, Rev. David Good, Minister Emeritus of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme and Rev. Jack Madry of the Madry Temple in New London started to discuss ways to bring communities together to address the scourge of racial injustice.
Commenting on the use of public art to help achieve this goal, Rev. Good explains, “Public art will not solve systemic racial injustice, but it would be a public affirmation that, on the one hand, this is the country we are, and, on the other, this is the country we are endeavoring to become.”
All are welcome to Sunday’s event and admission is free.