Mural of Nicholasa Mohr in Harlem

Michael Rubin

Blog Post

December 7, 2017

Prof. John Seitz

As I stand on the corner of East 111th street and Lexington, the pungent aroma of marijuana meanders its way about my nostrils. To my left, there is a mural of a prayerful Hispanic woman watching over the young children who play basketball on the court beneath her. The juxtaposition between childhood innocence and open drug abuse occurring amidst her watchful gaze conjures up an awareness of the absurd nature of the scene. The mural itself depicts a likeness of Nicholasa Mohr, a famous Nuyorican writer who drew upon her childhood experiences to document the life struggles faced by Hispanics in America. One of her most famous works is entitled “El Regalo Magico,” and tells the story of a young Dominican boy in America who has difficulty assimilating due to the language barrier. The mural of Mohr is pigmented with conservative, but effective shades of blue. Nicholasa’s hands are held open and outward, as though she is bestowing a blessing upon those beneath her. This posture may even compel some to draw comparisons between this representation of Mohr and the Virgin Mary, who is often depicted with a similar body language. The mural is located directly opposite a local church, and adjacent to a store simply labeled “Checks Cashed.” This particular section of Harlem has not yet been affected by the gentrification which has noticeably transformed many of the surrounding districts. In this sense, the mural acts as a sort of guardian for the residents within a few city blocks. It is almost as if she is protecting them from the rampant spread of gentrification and the subsequent expulsion of residents who live in lower-income areas.

Mohr’s implementation of her identity as a Puerto Rican woman in her writing is similar to Jarena Lee. Much in the same way that Lee faced discrimination in her church for being a woman, and in her community for being black, Mohr struggled with both her gender and ethnicity as a barrier to her enjoyment of the privileges experienced by white men. These women are also alike in that they did not allow the restrictions placed on them by society to stop them from achieving their goals. Jarena Lee fought through the boundaries put before her to become a preacher in much the same way that Mohr fought through her struggles to become a prolific and illustrious author.

The sentiment behind the mural of Nicholasa Mohr seems to reinforce the idea of the necessity of a unified community. Dorothy Day in particular is an individual who actively advocated for the importance of a strong and united community. Through the 1960s, Dorothy Day was involved in the creation and publishing of The Catholic Worker, which carried within it articles about racism, the exploitation of black labor, and justice for minority groups. This showcased Day’s desire to nurture a more equitable and just community. This mural also acts as a beacon of hope for many who are oppressed by racism, and unifies them in their struggle against it.