Environmental Justice Mural

Transportation Secretary James Aloisi joins environmental justice advocates and youth from the Roxbury-based organization Alternatives for Community & Environment (ACE) this evening to unveil the installation of a commemorative mural at the State Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza.  Youth and adult ACE members created the mural to commemorate the organization’s 15th anniversary.  ACE is a grassroots membership organization committed to achieving environmental justice in lower income communities and communities of color through community organizing, education, advocacy and legal strategies. 

Local artists Thomas Burns and Jesse Cardoso helped the ACE members through a collaborative process to envision and then create the piece.  The mural reflects ACE campaigns and a vision of Dudley Square’s past, present, and future.

As part of his artist’s statement prepared for the installation, mural artist and youth organizer Jalelle Cosgrove, 18, said “if a community is polluted and has no pride or opportunities, it will resort to violence, hopelessness, poverty and crisis.  A community that goes green and shows solidarity and opportunities will be cleaner, wealthier, and healthier in every way.”

This summer, members of the ACE program Roxbury Environmental Empowerment Project (REEP) worked with Secretary Aloisi, the MBTA, and the Boston Youth Organizing Project to extend the MBTA student pass hours from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. 

The ACE mural will be displayed in the 2nd floor public lobby of the Transportation Building for the next month.  Watch for pictures and video from the event right here Wednesday. Follow MassDOT on Twitter.