‘Community History Mural’ by Elliott Pinkney. Painted alongside 28 youth community assistants in 2002. Project support from Youth Development Program, JTPA Title IIA/B: Community Development, Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine. It took a little digging to find info about this artwork. I think it’s worth sharing what I learned. LB Parks was helpful, replying to my e-mail: “Featured in the mural are local heroes that the youth participants were able to interview and/or learn about as: Josephine Gumbiner and Ernest McBride. Elliott was an internationally acclaimed artist, he worked with others to start the contemporary LA mural movement and was an artist in resident instructor of the Watts Tower Community Center. Elliott was a gentle, humble person who spoke nationally about the arts, Black History, and assisted in bringing the community back together after the Watts Riots. He passed away in 2020. The mural is marked for restoration if the overpass is not removed due to 710 Freeway expansion that was scheduled several years ago and not begun at this point.” Wrote Heather Green, Cultural Program Supervisor, Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine: “Elliott was truly a treasure as a person and artist for all he contributed. He was a most amazing, kind and insightful person, artist and teacher that wanted our youth and community to be able to contribute, learn and be a positive part of our community and world. He was not worried about how much he was paid but concerned more about the positive outcomes his work contributed. He was born and lived in the South when it was so racially segregated. He moved West and became a print shop owner and amazing printmaker and mural artist. He lived in Compton with his wife and children.” The mural can be found under a 710 freeway overpass next to Chavez Park in Long Beach
