Here’s a question. What if a single mural could ignite a movement? That’s what happened here in Chicago. Let’s explore the story behind the Time is the Enemy Mural.
In August 1967, a collective of 14 African American artists embarked on a mission. Their canvas was a run-down tavern wall at 43rd Street and Langley Avenue. Their vision became the Wall of Respect. This 60-foot-wide mural became a catalyst. It inspired hundreds of Black Power murals nationwide.
Sylvia Abernathy shaped the mural’s design. Each artist painted a section themed around Black heroes. Music, sports, politics, activism, religion, acting, and writing found their place on the wall. H. Rap Brown, Marcus Garvey, and Stokely Carmichael were featured. Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis also appeared. James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Nat Turner, and Elija Muhammad made the cut. W.E.B. DuBois, Gwendolyn Brooks, James Baldwin, and Amiri Baraka were included. Even Sidney Poitier had a place. The mural evolved with portraits added and removed.
The Wall of Respect sought to give Black people a distinct sense of identity. It beautified the neighborhood. Muralist William Walker shared this vision with the Chicago Tribune in 1967.
The Wall of Respect was revolutionary. It was created without city permits or the owner’s consent. This act sparked a public mural movement. It spread to other American cities.
The mural and its artists were central to an exhibition called The Time Is Now. This exhibition highlighted Black artists’ efforts for self-determination. They wanted to define their own image. They wanted to create their own autonomous institutions. They wanted to define Black art. The exhibition featured over 100 artworks. These ranged from Expressionism to protest graphics to utopian sci-fi.
Chicago was a hub of Black culture. It was a destination for African Americans migrating from the South. They faced racism and segregation in the Black Belt. A 1967 study revealed widespread opposition to civil rights among Chicago whites.
The University of Chicago pushed Black residents out of Hyde Park. Restrictive covenants prevented African Americans from settling elsewhere.
Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun drew from her family’s experiences. They moved into a white neighborhood. Her father fought racist housing policies.
Richard J. Daley, Chicago’s mayor for 21 years, was a staunch figure. After Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968, uprisings shook Chicago. Daley infamously ordered police to shoot arsonists and looters.
The Wall of Respect emerged in this context. It was a guerrilla mural, according to Jeff Donaldson. It was a statement of existence for Black people.
The Time Is Now exhibition included Donaldson’s sketch of Miles Davis. Surviving pieces from the Wall of Truth were also displayed. The Wall of Truth stood across from the Wall of Respect. A panel from William Walker’s Wall of Love was showcased.
Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated the South Side Community Art Center in 1941. This center exemplified Black Chicagoans’ efforts to build autonomous institutions.
Black artists often faced segregation in the white-run art world. Outdoor art fairs became vital spaces for them to exhibit their work.
Margaret T. Burroughs founded the Ebony Museum of Negro History and Art. Yaoundé Olu launched the Osun Center for the Arts. These institutions aimed to uplift the Black community.
Many Wall of Respect muralists belonged to OBAC. Jeff Donaldson cofounded it. He later formed COBRA to protest the exclusion of Black artists.
In 1970, AFRICOBRA emerged. It created psychedelic Black Power art. They critiqued racist America. They celebrated Black families and community.
The Wall of Respect was intended to be temporary. It was lost in a 1971 fire. The building was razed soon after.
AFRICOBRA’s Chicago base dissolved after Donaldson left. Yet, the collective continued to this day.
The Wall of Respect declared Black unity. It asserted Black identity during the rise of Black Power. The title echoed Aretha Franklin’s song R-E-S-P-E-C-T. The mural brought art to the people. It uplifted spirits. It honored heritage. It focused anger on real issues.
Today, may the Time is the Enemy Mural remind us. It reminds us of the power of art. It reminds us of the struggles for equality and self-determination. It reminds us of the enduring legacy of Black artistic expression.