Wall of Honor

MAY 2, 2018 - CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA: Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago's Lower West Side is a Mexican-American community known for its colorful wall... more

by Juli Scalzi

Title

Wall of Honor

Artist

Juli Scalzi

Medium

Photograph

Description

MAY 2, 2018 - CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA: Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago's Lower West Side is a Mexican-American community known for its colorful wall murals.

Shown here is the Wall of Honor, a mosaic mural that is dedicated to the innocent victims of gang violence.

It is an artistic project that`s meant to give teens a way to address the violence in Chicago. The project is part of the After School Matters program. It honors Chicago Police Officer Brian Strouse who was killed in the line of duty and Ana Mateo, a seven-year-old who was a victim of gun violence, as well as Jeff Maldonado, Jr., a young Pilsen artist who was killed in a case of mistaken gang identity.

Jeff or J-Def, as he was known, was a talented college student and hip hop emcee whose music tells the story of growing up in the community he loved yet that was filled with violence. Jeff was killed on July 25, 2009, a day after his 19th birthday. He was returning home from the barber shop preparing for his first public performance that afternoon.

J-Def Peace Project is an organization whose mission is to provide teens with a positive and safe place where creativity and peace flourish. The program helps prepare teens for their future and create public works of art which spread the messages of peace, education and hope.

Uploaded

May 7th, 2018