CPCS Unveils Mural Celebrating the Achievements of Homeless Women

A mural gracing the entrance to the CPCS faculty offices on the third floor of Wheatley Hall was unveiled at a reception held on May 5. Commissioned by friends and colleagues of Marie Kennedy on the occasion of her retirement, the mural celebrates her work and two of the projects that she brought to the college: the Roofless Women’s Action Research Mobilization and the Women in Community Development (WICD). These organizations helped more than thirty low-income and formerly homeless women earn a college education and focus their academic work on issues of importance in their lives and communities. Both programs were undertaken in partnership with a number of community and public agencies, three of which were represented at the reception—the Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development, Project Hope, and the City of Boston Women’s Commission.

Artist John Ewing worked with WICD in developing the design of the mural. Four current WICD students, Michelle Ekanem, Latasha Gorman, Theodora Griffith, and Wanda Scott, earned academic credit through their work developing the design with the artist over several months. Small images along the bottom of the mural depict various aspects of the lives of the women—from being evicted and homeless to studying together and speaking at a public rally. The large image of women flying in the mural was developed from discussions with the women, who talked about the many competing draws on their time and energy—family, school, jobs, community, and church commitments, their hope of flying more freely once they graduate, and their dedication to helping other women face similar challenges.

-- Marie Kennedy

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