Mural of John Lewis

NOTE: This portion of State Street is currently under heavy construction, and can only be accessed heading south.

This mural of civil rights leader John Lewis was created in November 2020 by a group of artists, including Ephraim Gebre, Sarah Rutherford, and Jared Diaz. The mural, titled “I Am Speaking”, is based on a photograph by Danny Lyon.

Ephraim chose to create the mural at this location because it's right down the street from a statue of Frederick Douglass, which stands near the site of Corinthian Hall. This was where Frederick Douglass delivered one of his most famous speeches, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” in 1852.

To hear a story by Nate DiMeo about Corinthian Hall, including this speech by Frederick Douglass, by Nate DiMeo, tap this link.

For a WXXI video interview with Jared Diaz and Ephraim Gebre, tap the thumbnail below.