The theme for this mural is a result of partnering with local Historian George Bayard.The concept is based on Black leadership, activism, pioneers and people that challenged the status quo. Our research lead us to the Grand Rapids Negro baseball league teams. The GR BlackSox and Cooks Brown Dolls. The men and women that played for these teams were often leaders in their communities and seen as local heroes. One of the figures featured in the mural is local baseball player and beloved community member Earlene Harper Mathis. The mural also features Ted Rasberry and Jessy Elster, two local baseball legends that have achieved many things within the world of baseball and business, making them black pioneers and heroes of their time and beyond.
