TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The University of Arizona's African American Student Affairs (AASA) office celebrated the unveiling of a new mural Wednesday afternoon, a vibrant symbol of Black student life on campus.
"It's nice to actually be able to show like, hey, this is who we are," said Ky’Jah Greene, one of the students who contributed to the mural’s design with input and ideas.
Greene said her involvement in the design process was about ensuring visibility for Black students on campus.
“We wanted this mural to reflect us and the joy that we experience in this space, because this is our space. We are a family here,” Greene added.
The mural, which features bright colors and dynamic imagery, captures the energy of the AASA space. Jamaica DelMar, director of African American Student Affairs, explained that the design also incorporates elements that reflect Tucson's landscape, such as saguaros and mountains.
"Another thing that was important was to just, you know, really recognize the spirit of Black joy and wanting to just represent what happens in the building," DelMar said, emphasizing the fun students experience at the center beyond academics.
"The people in the mural are smiling and we wanted to have bright colors," DelMar said. "On the panels is traditional African fabrics—so Western African wax fabrics, wax print. So, that goes back to the roots of Africa too. So, we wanted to speak to that as well."
DelMar also noted that the mural honors past students who advocated for the creation of the AASA office in 1989, when the building was originally a fraternity house. The mural recognizes their efforts and the decades of progress since then.
"We're so thankful to those who came before us and we look forward to just really improving the inside and outside and supporting student success while they're here," DelMar said.
Artist Nolan Patterson, who designed the mural, took input from students throughout the process, including the quote at the top of the mural: "To choose joy is to find freedom."
"I thought that was perfect," Patterson said.
As part of the celebration, attendees were invited to leave their handprints on the mural, adding their own personal mark to the artwork.
"It feels amazing," Patterson said of the community involvement. "It's honestly one of the best feelings. I would absolutely love to do more community involvement in murals than just handprints."
For Greene, the mural is an important step toward ensuring that the AASA office is recognized for what it represents.
"To have Black joy represented on our building, it means so much to us," Greene said. "We want it to be bright and want to draw people's attention to it because we are here and we should be brought into places and spaces where we are acknowledged at this university that we are continually not acknowledged at."
The mural is located at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center, at 1322 E. 1st St., Tucson, AZ 85721.
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Maria Staubs joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist and producer in July of 2024. Her passion for writing and storytelling stems from anchoring her middle school’s news show and editing her high school’s yearbook. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication with a minor in film and media production, as well as a master's degree in mass communication. You can email Maria at maria.staubs@kgun9.com or reach out to her on X/Twitter or Instagram.
