Tree of Life Mural

Tree of Life (2019)

This mural is a work directed by artist Marissa Molina, with Peach Tao and Will DeNatale, through The Thrive Collective, painted throughout the summer and unvieled in August of 2019. Read more about the artwork and Thrive Collective's projects on their website.

The Tree of Life is one of many community-based arts initiatives that are largely BIPOC-led in Jamaica, Queens. In 2020, Jamaica residents came together to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement, painting a massive mural on Jamaica Avenue in front of King Manor Museum as other communities across NYC did the same. Check out the video above to see the Black Lives Matter mural, which has since worn away.

Continue walking to find more evidence of BIPOC-led community spaces in Jamaica and find out what that has to do with the development of a 19th century free Black community