DC as our classroom

Making DC their classroom, sociology students boarded a bus to explore historic street art created by Latino artists in DC neighborhoods. In decades past, the neighborhoods of Columbia Heights, Petworth, Mount Pleasant, and Adams Morgan were home to a vibrant Latino immigrant community. Murals are a public representation of the lived experience of neighborhood residents and offer a record of change over time. The trip was co-sponsored as part of the Center for Global Education’s local-to-global initiative and the Sociology Department’s Place Matters in the DMV.

Photo information & Credits:

Photos 1 & 2: Christine McDonald, our tour guide, described the personal journey of one muralist as Marymount students documented their experience.
Photo 1 credit: Janine DeWitt
Photo 2 credit: Kevin Rios

Photo 3: Un Pueblo Sin Murales es Un Pueblo Dismuralizado/A people without murals is a dem(u)oralized people (Kalorama Triangle). Artists: Felipe Martinez, Carlos Salozar, Carlos Arrien, and Juan Pineda
Photo 3 credit: Natalie Melara

Photo 4: Catching the American Dream (Petworth). Artist: Jose Piedra
Photo 4 credit: Rachel Sloan

Photo 5: Students learn about Alex Garcia’s personal journey from graffiti to recognition as a muralist. Clowny Artists:  Maria Miller, Ernesto Zelaya, Jason Phillip, and William Page.
Photo 5 credit: Chris Cleveland

For more information:

  1. Hola Cultura is the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that is dedicated to recording the history of and preserving the actual murals of DC who led this wonderful mural tour.
  2. Murals DC is a website where you can view a map of DC’s iconic murals.
  3. Christine McDonald, author of this inthesetimes.com article, was one of our tour guides.