Arts: The Murals of Obama?s First Term

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Gallery The Murals of Obama's First Term Sometimes the president is a preacher; sometimes he looks Latino. By Camilo Vergara Posted Tuesday, Sep 04, 2012, at 10:16 PM ET On the wall of the Jumpstart Learning Center in Detroit, President Obama is depicted as a preacher addressing a crowd of tiny people from behind a lectern. "We like Obama around here," says the center's director, Ms. Lockhard, who commissioned the painting from a neighbor for $150 during the first year of Obama's presidency. When I commented that Detroit doesn't look any better now than it did three years ago, Ms. Lockhard replied that her immediate neighborhood has improved. Since Obama first took office in 2009, murals of his likeness have been appearing on the walls of fast food restaurants, barbershops, storefront churches, and other inner-city businesses across the U.S. The president is frequently pictured alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A South Los Angeles resident explained this choice to me: "Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk. Martin Luther King walked so Obama could run. Obama ran so we can all fly." A large mural at Master Burger in South L.A. suggests that Barack Obama has become president with the help of Marcus Garvey, the Tuskegee Airmen, Sojourner Truth, and other members of the black pantheon. Urban murals typically show Obama wearing a tie and smiling. Often he has the up-tilted face and earnest demeanor of the famous "Hope" campaign poster: a statesman reflecting on issues of global significance. When painted by African-American artists, Obama's tie is often red, his jacket blue, and his shirt white, this combination echoing the American ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Dispatches From the Democratic National Convention The "Better" Battle Rachel Carson Didn't Kill Millions of Africans	Advertisement
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