Unsung Heroes

Karmimadeebora “Mima” McMillan elevated voices of young Black Women and Women of Color while recognizing unsung heroes of Roxbury and Dorchester in her first-ever community-engaged mural “Unsung Heroes.” Sited at 626 Warren Street at the corner of Sunderland Street, across from the Freedom House in Grove Hall, it was unveiled on September 12 with ongoing workshops and community listening sessions. Transforming historical pain into power, Mima’s printed 6-by-60-foot mural incorporated a character she often features in her paintings called, “Ms. Merri Mack.” The name stems from a well-known nursery rhyme sung by slave children who were taught “corn ditties,” the original name for Negro spirituals so that they could clap and sing to distract them from doing harsh plantation work. Mima originally depicted the character Ms. Merri Mack as a picaninny – a derogatory term used to pick on dark-skinned Black children, resulting in them feeling less than, unworthy, and ashamed of the color of their skin. Mima intentionally offset this idea by combining wonder and play with the name of a popular modern-day hand-clapping game for children – restoring and reworking previously held implications for these nursery rhymes.

“In the end, I hope a little girl walks by and sees magic! And hopefully, that will make her want to make her own.” - Mima McMillan

The mural was purposefully placed across from the Freedom House, founded in 1949 to build economic, racial, and social equity through education and leadership development, inspiring Black, Brown, and immigrant youth to graduate from high school and give back to their communities. “Unsung Heroes” celebrated the work they have done and will continue to do. “Unsung Heroes” continued to evolve as Mima and Freedom House teachers and students co-created an Augmented Reality component that brings unsung heroes to life.

Located near N+T’s Mentoring Murals collaboration with Greater Grove Hall Main Streets, Mima’s artwork added to the decades-long practice of pro-Black mural-making in Boston.

Timeline: September 12 - October 20, 2022

Rendering of “Unsung Heroes” provided by the artist.

McMillan was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and currently lives in Cambridge, MA. She earned her MFA (2013) and Post Baccalaureate certificate (2011) from The School of the Museum of Arts at Tufts, Boston. After graduate school, McMillan worked for the well-known street artist Swoon and helped start the non-profit organization, Heliotrope Foundation. She has performed with her mentor, Magdalena Campos-Pons, at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, Queens Museum in New York, and Havana, Cuba Biennale 15. She is currently the Director of the Post Baccalaureate Program and part-time lecturer at SMFA at Tufts, Boston.

Check out Mima’s website and Instagram.

Visit other Grove Hall murals using N+T’s mobile tour.

PRESS

Header image provided by the artist.