I envisioned this mural, as a journey through 35,000 years of African history. The images, symbols, colors, writings are intended to remind the people of Africatown and other Americans of African descent who their ancestors really were. I wanted them to SEE Africa, which for most are just images from books and movies, and take pride in the enormous impact that Africa and African descended people have had all over the planet.

Omotunde is a Yoruba word that translates into “the child who returns home. In making this the name of the Africatown mural, I wanted to symbolically reconnect the people of Africatown with their African roots.  The symbols, words, and images that I have used in the Omotunde mural serve to reconnect and reunite Africatown and its people with Africa and her people.   

Jeki Esso