Iconic Black women celebrated with three new murals
The Brockley community is extremely proud of its street art and has long supported the painting of murals of Black people. But until recently, all the murals have been of men.
In 2023, three new spectacular murals of phenomenal Black women from Lewisham were unveiled by Brockley Max Festival with funding from the Mayor of London’s Untold Stories programme.
These works celebrate the important of contributions by local women of colour in the borough.
About the artists
The women, who were chosen by the local community, are: Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who campaigns for the right to breath clean air following the death of her daughter Ella Roberta from air pollution; Mavis Best, who fought racist policing and discrimination over five decades; and Kristina and Sadé Alleyne, who set up the award-winning and internationally acclaimed dance company, Alleyne Dance.
For the shortlist, there was no shortage of suggestions from local people, such were the untold stories of courage, determination and creativity of so many Black women from the area. The murals were painted by Roxanne Williams, Jelly and Amanda Graham, all women artists of colour.
Highlighting the legacy of local women
The new murals provoke discussion about women, their visibility or invisibility both within the community and nationally.
They highlight the legacy of women who have demanded change and been at the forefront of events that have shaped the history of Lewisham.
The local community was highly involved in the process from the outset. Volunteers helped to prepare the walls, supported the artists and filmmaker and used social media to document the ongoing painting as part of Brockley Max 2023.
It created opportunities to have lots of conversations from the mundane, shared histories of Brockley, women’s rights and the importance of black female visibility in both historical and contemporary settings.
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The project has also reached every primary and secondary school in Lewisham through workshops and an art competition.
Brockley Max Festival established a selection committee and steering group who oversaw the project.
Untold Stories: uncovering fascinating stories of diverse Londoners across the city
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