COLUMBIA, S.C. — A new mural at Valencia Park in the Rosewood community is putting a light on black history in Columbia.
McClellan Douglas, an artist in Rosewood, created the mural that sits at the ballpark.
"Rosewood has always been a mixed community and a diverse one, and I love that about it," said Douglas. "I'm happy to have been a part of this project and shining a light on black history in Columbia."
The artist received a picture of the first day of integration at Rosewood Elementary to use for the piece.
Since the photo was in black and white, he wanted to keep some of those elements while incorporating a colorful sunset in the background. He says if there a lot of clouds in the sky, the mural should blend in around sunset.
While the idea for the design came to him overnight, it took him about a week and a couple of days to complete the mural.
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Douglas says he wanted to use his platform to make sure everyone is represented.
"I think it represents a small step taken when my parents were kids. My parents weren't in school with black people until high school, like almost the end of high school. They didn't have the same experience that I did," explained Douglas. "I always feel like they were robbed of that. I think that was a pivotal moment in our culture. I know we have a long, long way to go. It gets proven to me every day but I think that was a good moment to shine a light on."
Douglas plans on working on more art projects around the Midlands soon.