The Wall of Respect, a 20ft x 60ft group mural, was conceived by William Walker, one of the founding members of the Organisation of Black American Cultures (Obac), and completed in the summer of 1967. Its eclectically styled sections were painted by artists trained in different media, including painters, printmakers and photographers.

The mural combined multiple images to make a highly visible setting and was created through a distinctly collaborative process. Local student Sylvia Abernathy’s overall design was chosen, with the spaces of the wall allocated to individual artists, and subdivided by the building’s features into different categories of hero.

New scenes were added as the Civil Rights movement unfolded. The wall became an important place for political gatherings, tourists’ pilgrimages, and other events featuring music, dancing and poetry.

The Guardian