3 murals commemorating Black history to be unveiled in McDougall Street Corridor

Three murals are being unveiled Thursday to honour the legacy of several residents of the McDougall Street Corridor, a historically Black neighbourhood in Windsor.

The Essex County Black Historical Research Society commissioned artists DERKZ, Jermaine Baylis, and Ed Irmen to complete the works.

Baylis is working on a mural that features Alton C. Parker, the city's first Black police officer.

He said he is hoping to not only honour the history but look ahead with his piece.

"The past is very important but a lot of the past has been repeated over and over again, which is great and I think it's good for the youth but also I really want to tie in looking into the future," he told Windsor Morning's Nav Nanwa.

"That's why I'm really, you know, an advocate of Black businesses and just building up the the community."

Baylis said in working on the project he felt a connection to the community he was working in.

"I really feed off it," he said. "As I'm painting, I'm seeing a lot of people that grew up in the area, from the area."

There were also moments when people stopped to talk with him, and he even had descendants of Parker share their pride with him.

'A gentleman came through and he had somebody on the phone. And so, you know, I go to his car and it's actually his granddaughter and she's all emotional and crying and saying 'I love seeing the progress and that's my grandfather,'" Baylis said.

"That's what makes things all worth it."

This isn't the first public art Baylis has worked on in Windsor — he also did a Black history mural in Sandwich Towne.

He said he's grown a lot in the years since.

"I have a greater appreciation now that I'm older and I understand the importance of all the people that I had the luxury of painting," he said.

"Now it's a different perspective. I really want to brighten up this mural. I wanted it to pop. I wanted people to see it from from the road or I wanted to catch their eyes. Like you really use bright colours. And I wanted to tell a story a little bit."

Baylis said he spoke to countless passersby and everyone seemed pleased at the idea and his work.

"There was some learning and people asked who it was, who was I painting," he said.

"It was nothing but positivity that I experienced."

The murals will also depict McDougall Street Corridor residents Fred Thomas, James L. Dunn and Ada Kelly Whitney.

The Essex County Black Historical Research Society got the money for the murals from a $100,000 grant from Ontario's Southwest Regional Tourism Organization.

"In addition to beautifying the district, the investment will also fund promotional material, a video and educational curriculum to support greater awareness of the area and its history," the society said in a news release.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.