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01/21/2023 08:08 AMIn commemorating what would have been Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 94th birthday, nearly 70 people gathered on Old Saybrook's Main Street for reflection and the unveiling of a new community mural celebrating the town's diversity. The observance was organized by representatives of Old Saybrook March for Justice and the Public Art for Racial Justice Education (PARJE).
"This is a day of reflection about the teachings of Dr. King," said Maryam Elahi, president of the Community Foundation for Eastern Connecticut and an advisor to PARJE. "To me, that means remembering the past and how it really was."
David Addams, executive director of the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, which fights to end racism and poverty in Connecticut, also spoke.
"The most important thing we do is take the time to reflect and stand up for Dr. King's legacy," said Addams.
Addams noted some of King's less publicized thoughts and how they connected to aspects of life such as affordable housing, education, childcare, and peace. Addams said he was inspired to see the turnout the event had on a cold morning and encouraged people to help spread King's message to a new, younger generation.
Following the remarks, the crowd walked from where it had gathered outside Penny Lane Pub to the side of the Seaside Liquor store to view a new mural painted by artist Jasmine Oyola. One side of the mural depicts three notable Old Saybrook residents, Anna James, Ann Petry, and Katharine Hepburn. The other side of the mural depicts an indigenous woman, and indigenous iconography Oyola said, signifies the effect and contributions of the culture.
"It honors three bold women and the indigenous culture that was here before them."
James was the first black woman pharmacist in the state who lived and worked at Old Saybrook's James Pharmacy. Petry, James' niece, was a novelist whose first novel, The Street, became the first novel by a black woman to sell a million copies. Hepburn is, of course, a famous actress who made Old Saybrook her home.
Old Saybrook now joins the towns of East Lyme, Old Lyme, Norwich, and New London, which already have murals.
Elahi said that the mural idea sprang up after there was so much public involvement with people speaking out for justice and diversity initiatives following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
"It's a way to send a message of history but also show we're a welcoming town. It's a way to move forward in a way to use art to bring attention to equity and justice issues," said Elahi told the Harbor News in the past.
For more information about PARJE and its mission, visit www.racialjusticeart.org/about