Mural located in the alley between S. Grove & S. Spring, just north of Fulton Street.

The Promise of Elgin

What space can we make to allow for peaceful and impactful gatherings of community members to engage? How do we elevate equity in our community? These questions arose in response to the historic summer of 2020 and the response that Elgin’s community had to the killing of George Floyd. Elgin’s residents peacefully protested along with many others across the nation. Downtown businesses were largely boarded up in an abundance of caution based on the looting happening in other communities; happily, no looting or damage occurred in Elgin. Local artists and activists activated to express their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement artistically on the boards adorning the businesses. An ad-hoc group of community individuals (now known as the Elgin Social Justice Collective) came together and worked to identify a project that would address those questions. The project consists of four parts: a mural, a documentary, a Juneteenth partnership, and a scholarship.

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