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mural on a wall
NYCHA Residents Top Story 

New Murals Promote Safety and Belonging

LaToya

Polo Grounds Towers in Manhattan and Stapleton Houses in Staten Island are now home to two beautiful new murals with the message to community members that everyone deserves to feel safe.

The murals are part of the Inclusive Safety Mural Series created by genEquality, a nonprofit organization focused on equality and inclusion through art and culture. genEquality brings together artists, students, residents, and educators to design and create murals which let community members know that no matter where they are from, how they identify, or who they love, they deserve to feel safe.

Murals were created by local artists and community members in each of the five boroughs and unveiled in April as part of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. While every mural is unique, all the mural projects had to be led by a local artist, include ideas and design from community members, and feature the words “You Belong.”

At Polo Grounds Towers, mural design and painting was led by Harlem-based artist Giannina Gutierrez with youth and senior residents.

  • mural
    The full mural covering both corner walls on 155th and Frederick Douglass Blvd.
  • two people painting mural
    Participants painting the mural.
  • people painting mural
    Participants painting the mural.
  • mural
    Front of the completed mural at Polo Grounds Towers.

At Stapleton Houses, mural design and painting was led by Staten Island-based artist Monique Welsh, known as “La Femme Cheri,” with young residents.

  • people painting a mural
    Participants painting the mural.
  • girl painting mural
    Participants painting the mural.
  • two people in front of mural
    Artist Monique Welsh “La Femme Cheri” and genEquality’s Director of the Inclusive Mural Series Sophia Lajaunie.
  • mural on a wall
    The completed mural at 77 Hill Street at Stapleton Houses.
  • people jumping
    Participants jump in front of the interactive double dutch scene of the mural.

The other murals are located at Townsend Harris High School in Queens, International Community High School in the Bronx, and Kurt Hahn Expeditionary High School in Brooklyn. At each location, artists, community members, and elected officials attended mural unveiling events.

genEquality partnered with the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety, the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, the NYC Commission for Human Rights, the NYC Department of Education, and NYCHA on the murals. The organization hopes to bring the Inclusive Safety Mural Series to cities around the country.

To learn more about genEquality and the mural series, visit https://www.genequality.org/isms.