A new mural was revealed in northeast Charlotte Thursday as part of a project that captures the experiences of minority communities through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The mural depicts someone wearing a mask and looking through a window while quarantining. Nearby, another person looks into the sky with a smile on their face as they remove their mask.
The Living Archives project collected over 350 stories, mostly from minority communities, to document their experiences during the pandemic. Sarah Gherghel is the project lead. She said minority communities’ voices are often not preserved during historical moments.
“Traditionally, archives are white, male and privileged voices,” Gherghel said. "We wanted to step away from that and make sure we capture voices from Black, Hispanic, Latino, Indigenous and Asian communities.”
The project collected stories in various formats, such as audio-visuals, poetry, and animated videos. Gherghel said the aim is to create connections.
“We just wanted our community, our greater Mecklenburg County community, to hear these stories, to see them and to be able to stir dialogue, you know, maybe, (say) ‘hey, this is my neighbor from the west side, and they have had a similar experience to me, and I live in south Charlotte' and just being able to connect to one another and create deeper community bonds," Gherghel said.
On May 16, another celebration of the project will be held at Discovery Place in uptown. The event will provide the public with an opportunity to learn more about the project and connect with some of the featured individuals.
