Black culture is so rich that some visual artists can’t help but be inspired by it. Some have used that inspiration to create large murals on the sides of buildings for the public to enjoy. All kinds of Black figures have been immortalized this way, including entertainers, politicians and those who met untimely ends due to police brutality.

Here’s some impressive street art featuring Black figures.

1. Harriet Tubman- Maryland

 

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It’s hard not to be in awe of the power of “Take My Hand” by Michael Rosato. You can see it on the exterior wall of the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center in downtown Cambridge.

The artist said, “when you look at this mural, I wanted  it to evoke a number of the words that would describe Harriet Tubman: power, strength love, family. There is so much to learn about Harriet Tubman. This is an incredible American icon, not just a woman, an African-American woman, but it contains all the American spirit.”

Rosato has also painted Frederick Douglass and a number of other prominent Black figures. He also painted a mural in honor of the victims of the Tulsa Race massacre.

 

 

2. Multiple People- Washington D.C.

While you’re on your way to Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street, there’s no way you can miss this dynamite mural.

Since it was first done in 2012, prominent Black figures across all eras and industries have been included. At least twice, two of them were painted over due to controversy.

The Obamas, Prince, Muhammad Ali and Harriet Tubman are just some of the famous, larger than life faces.

 

3. Multiple People- Atlanta

 

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There are many murals along The Beltline, including a portrait of DMX.

There’s also the Black Lives Matter mural, with the names of police brutality victims written in and around the letters.

Over on 523 Whitehall Street in southwest Atlanta is one of many tributes to George Floyd. It was painted by Renda Writer.

 

4. Biggie Smalls- New York

 

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Amid the industrial buildings, nightclubs and quirky restaurants of Bushwick (Brooklyn) are some interesting paintings.

A colorful portrait of Notorious B.I.G dressed in blue is sure to catch your eye.

The beloved rapper’s likeness appears all over Brooklyn.

 

5. Kobe Bryant- All Over

The untimely death of Kobe Bryant in 2020  saddened many around the world.

Even the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, paid tribute to Black Mamba, via a projected image.

Kobe’s death inspired plenty of street murals, with a large concentration of them in Los Angeles.

The Kobe Mural website is dedicated to highlighting these works. Some are realistic, while others take a more stylized approach.