A new mural in northeast Charlotte is part of a project to collect and preserve the experiences of minority groups during the COVID-19 pandemic — the hard, the joyful and what they appreciate more now.
On a recent afternoon, artist Abel Jackson stood on a lift with a load of spray paint scattered on the floor. He stopped to spray some brown paint on a building. An earring emerged, completing a visual of a woman's face. Her story is one that the project gathered.
“In this particular image right here of her, the idea is she’s taking off her mask and taking a deep breath,” Jackson said. “So, it’s kind of like being appreciative for the little things, like being able to breathe, breathe in fresh air and be out in the sun.”
It’s been more than four years since the start of the pandemic — enough time for some reflection. The Living Archives Project collected over 350 stories, mostly about minority groups and their experiences through the pandemic, which will be preserved by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
Jackson said the mural, based on some of those stories, will reveal a few different things.
“I’m trying to show the many different ranges of emotions and experiences. It’s not just about the good; it’s also about some of the hard things we went through and persevered through,” Jackson said. “And ultimately, becoming aware of those things we take for granted, the little things we take for granted that mean so much.”
A few days later, a crowd of people turned up for the mural's unveiling and received tickets for a raffle. Ivonne Uquillas was one of them. She’s one of the people depicted in the mural, quarantining in her home and wearing a mask as she looks out a window. She recalled the experiences of being isolated at her home with her daughter.
“It was a hard time. I felt like I was in jail. We didn't go anywhere,” Uquillas said. “We just stayed together. I didn't see my mom and my sisters.”
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Despite that isolation, she said she used the time to focus on self-care and enjoy moments with her daughter. Now, she appreciates being able to mingle with other community members in open spaces. She said the pandemic has made her appreciate other little things around her as well.
“My mind changed because I’m now respecting nature more, the animals and the environment,” Uquillas said. Uquillas is Latina, and her memories are part of the project.
The stories are in various formats, like audiovisuals, poetry, and animated videos, and include experiences from African Americans, Asians and Indigenous people.
Sarah Gherghel, the project's lead, said the aim is to ensure that the stories of minority communities are 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 voices of people like Hannah Hasan are who Gherghel had in mind. Hasan stepped out of a car and stood still for a few seconds staring at the mural. Hasan, a spoken-word poet, is also featured in the mural.
She’s often commissioned to perform and write poetry about community events or topics tied to race and social justice. The arrival of the pandemic forced Hasan to pivot to performing online as events were canceled. She said being unable to perform in public spaces made it difficult to connect with community members.
“Community means that you feel each other, that you’re sitting side by side with people, and you're playing off that energy,” Hasan said. “And so, to be in my living room or my office by myself doing a performance, it took away from that.”
Hasan is back to performing in front of people again. Standing near a crowd, something impossible just a few years ago — she said the pandemic has made her realize how much she cherishes the opportunity to interact with community members.
“I think the biggest piece is just being in space with people, like having the opportunity to hear a song sung on stage and a poem read that is not from my computer screen,” Hasan said. “I love what technology has given us and access to each other from across the world, but nothing beats standing side by side, sitting side-by-side with people from your community, hearing and seeing and experiencing art in real-time.”
The mural is on display on the side of a building at 4600 N Tryon St. Right by the mural, there’s a plaque that contains a QR code that people can scan with their phones to learn more about the project and listen to the stories of others.
