Parris Stancell

About the Mural:
"I went to see Rev. Hester, Bernice Rustin and other community activists and I went through the neighborhood. I was at 9th and Indiana. I thought about the things that were going on and what they had done with SEPTA and the North Philadelphia train station. I thought about all the positive things that that they were doing. I thought that it was important to see that there is hope."

About the Neighborhood:
"There are people here who are strung out on drugs, who are homeless living in the streets, being arrested, not having any type of control over their life, tons and tons of black men going to jail, going to prisons, leaving people in turmoil. After seeing all the destruction that was going on here, I was inspired to see that there are some people in the neighborhood, still struggling, trying to lead the flock out of the situation they find themselves."

"Thirty years ago the neighborhood was beautiful. It really was. We had factories across the street on Glenwood Avenue. We had all home owners on Park Avenue, 13th Street and Glenwood Avenue. Everyone owned their homes and the firemen would come out and wash the streets down on Saturday and all the neighbors would come out and participate but that was thirty years ago. It is a big difference now the factories are …families are gone."

"That big gigantic wall was always an eye sore. Now, you have a landmark. When that mural comes it’s going to be a landmark. Everyone is gonna pass Glenwood and Broad Street and they’re going to look over and they’re going to see that mural. That’s going to be an asset to the neighborhood. I really feel that. And I think everyone in the neighborhood would rather see that than see what’s been up there for many years. So I think people are really looking forward to it."