Follow Your Vision

Follow Your Vision is inspired by the dual themes of leadership and career visions. The youth artists included students from the Youth-for-R.E.A.L. afterschool program at MS 399 and nearby PS 33. Staff and interns from Youth-for-R.E.A.L. also volunteered to help paint. During the mural design process, the youth researched a variety of historical and contemporary leaders, with an emphasis on Black and Latino leaders in order to reflect the demographics of the local community. The students learned how leadership can take many different forms and how people can show leadership in whichever profession they have chosen. The mural includes portraits of fourteen important Black and Latino leaders from different geographic backgrounds and walks of life. Equal numbers of men and women are represented. A numbered star next to each portrait corresponds to a key that lists the name of each individual and a brief description of what they are known for. Significant figures featured in the mural include Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Oscar de la Renta.