UNIT:
Lesson: 12-13
Text Title
Teacher Note: Given that this lesson involves both an article and the visual analysis of a mural, we expect that it will take two class periods to get through. We recommend that you follow the flow of this lesson, but spread it across two classes.
Murals for Racial Justice
Encyclopedia of Indianapolis
BLM, 2020
LaToya Martin
Main Idea
- The Murals for Racial Justice project was an effort by various organizations in Indiana to mobilize, organize, and support local artists to create original pieces of art as a form of protest against racial injustice. The project was motivated by the broader racial justice protests in summer 2020, wherein many activists called for change in various injustices continuing to face Black Americans, especially police brutality. In order to preserve the works of art, the Indiana State Museum and Indy Arts Council created an exhibition, and many of the murals have been preserved as part of an online collection.
- This painting displays a Black girl holding a “Black Lives Matter” protest sign, with a red heart behind the words. The girl is centered in the frame. The composition’s prominent colors are red, black, yellow, and green. By displaying one figure holding a protest sign in the center of the frame, the painting is a simple, yet powerful, expression of support for the BLM movement. Facing injustice, the figure’s stance suggests confidence and conviction, while the heart on her sign suggests a tone of both care and optimism. The color composition suggests pride in African heritage/lineage, given that red, black, yellow, and green are colors often associated with Africa and pan-Africanism.
Essential Question
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Content Objective
By engaging in this lesson, students will know/understand that…
- The Murals for Racial Justice were created as part of protests against racial injustice during the Summer of 2020
- The murals were created by local Indiana artists, who were supported by local organizations
- The murals have been preserved as part of both physical and digital exhibitions
- The murals are examples of how visual art can serve as a form of advocacy
Literacy Objective
By engaging in this lesson, students will strengthen their ability to…
- Determine the main idea of a nonfiction article.
- Analyze the theme of a text (artwork).
- Analyze how the components of a text (artwork) contribute to the development of the theme.
Standards Alignment
- Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are
supported by key details; summarize the text. (5.RC.6) - Determine the theme of a story, play, or poem from details in the text. (5.RC.2)
- Apply knowledge of text features in multiple print and digital sources to locate information, gain meaning from a text, or solve a problem. (5.RC.7)
