Merced mural honoring civil rights legend Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. unveiled
Dozens of people showed up for a celebration to unveil a mural honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Sunday in Merced.
The mural is located on the wall of the Food Center, located on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 12th Street.
The mural was painted by Livingston artist Joel Aguilar, who is part of a group called Third Hour Collective.
The project was funded by Merced Chapter of the NAACP and local residents.
“This is very special to see the community come together,” said Antonio Salazar, who helped organize Sunday’s celebration. “It’s very important to have art like this. It’s what brings us together as a culture.”
There was food and entertainment at Sunday’s celebration. The crowd listened to King’s “I Have a Dream” speech before Christian rapper Willie Felix performed.
“You see it brought the community together which is exactly what Martin Luther King was talking about,” said NAACP member Tamara Cobb.
“It’s special to me because it sends out his message that it is not about skin color. You see somebody from every race is out here.”
Organizers also felt the mural also brought art to an area of Merced they felt was neglected.
This story was originally published February 22, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
