Project Overview - MLK39 Racial Equity Mural Tour

The Glastonbury Town Hall mural project is part of the RiseUp for Art's MLK39 Racial Equity Mural Tour, an effort to create 39 murals across Connecticut for each year of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life. In 2024, the mural’s crowdfunding campaign raised nearly $10,000 from private donors, which was buttressed by a $7,500 match from Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund. Other major sponsors included the Glastonbury MLK Community Initiative, Historical Society of Glastonbury, Sun Life, and BPS Lawyers. The mural was brought to life by a Community Advocate Group, RiseUp, the Glastonbury MLK Community Initiative, the Historical Society of Glastonbury, and the Town of Glastonbury. The community was invited to celebrate the dedication of the mural on September 14, 2024 at an all ages event that featured music, food, performances, family-friendly activities, and formal comments by project stakeholders.

The mural content development process began in the fall of 2023 and continued through the spring of 2024. This effort included a community survey, historical research provided by representatives of the Historical Society of Glastonbury, monthly meetings of the Glastonbury MLK39 Community Advocate Group, and conversations with the Town Council. The resulting design (pictured at right) by artist Micaela Levesque was approved by the Glastonbury Town Council in April 2024. The design depicts both individuals and scenic landmarks that embody facets of Glastonbury’s rich history. 

Individuals and images depicted in the mural are summarized below. Please click each hyperlink to view detailed biographies prepared by the Historical Society of Glastonbury and approved by the Glastonbury Town Council at the meeting held on September 10, 2024.

• Sarah Wumpane, a Wangunk community leader, along with a canoe, representing the Native American history of the land that is now Glastonbury and its surrounding towns;

• The powder horn of Prince Simbo, an enslaved African American man who fought in the American Revolution and was subsequently emancipated;

• A silver buckle and the signature of Mary Syphax, an enslaved woman who was eventually emancipated along with her husband Syphax after his service in the American Revolution;

• A flag representing the 29th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers, an African American regiment in which several Glastonbury residents enlisted to fight in the Civil War; 

• Abby and Julia Smith, from the notable local Smith Family (after which Smith Middle School is named), who fought for abolition and women’s suffrage; 

• Zandra Flemister, a Glastonbury High School graduate who went on to become the first female African American to serve in the United States Secret Service; 

• Kirby Edmonds, another Glastonbury High School graduate who became a modern civil rights activist;

• The Old Cider Mill, hills, and orchards, representing the generations of farmers and farming tradition in Glastonbury that continue proudly to this day; 

• The Connecticut River, which was significant to the indigenous, colonial, farming, and industrial history of Glastonbury. The river continues to inspire as a landmark today, reflecting an excerpt from Kirby Edmonds’ obituary: “Kirby was a mighty river that flowed through our community and far beyond, watering the positive seeds of possibility.”

• A quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” 

Contact

For more information about the mural project, please contact:

Gina LaRosa, Chair of the Glastonbury MLK39 Mural Community Advocate Group: gigirose1105@gmail.com
Matt Conway, Executive Director of The RiseUP Group, matt.conway@theriseupgroup.org