Photo by Juan Miguel Martinez
We Are All Champions
The We Are All Champions mural
A new mural has gone up on 28th and Vliet, a stretch of road that is home to other murals as well as hidden culinary gems. It is a portrait and salute to Wisconsin’s Black athletes, one that is long overdue.
Images of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Cecil Cooper, Reggie White, Ron Dayne, Hank Aaron, and Giannis Antetokounmpo adorn the brick building. The mural is a family effort, spearheaded by Rozalia Hernandez-Singh, who creates with a colorful, spirited flourish. Her father is Reynaldo Hernandez, known to Milwaukeeans as an artistic treasure because of his instantly recognizable murals, such as the peace mural, South Side flagship, visible from the I-94.
“I remember working on that mural very well. My father had many helpers but he was particular to me. He wanted me to get the strokes just right. I thought he was picking on me, but no, he saw the potential in me,” says Hernandez-Singh.
“I finished a mural at the beginning of October. My husband, son and daughter helped. It is the mural next to Wolski’s tavern in Pulaski Park. This is the first mural working with my father where I myself am the lead artist. My father is my go-to person for everything I do. He is very wise and he lifts me up when I’m feeling unsure. He will tell me, ‘No, no, it’s good. Real good,’’ she continues.
Back in 1973, her father had created a sketch for a mural idea that highlighted the Bucks championship win. That one, unfortunately, never came to fruition. She explains the genesis of her project. “The owner of the building had a request for mural themes. We chose the Black athletes and did an all-time greatest. I did some research and asked a few people.
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But I did think about the cartoon sketch my dad made because Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar were in the sketch. With Giannis and the Bucks winning the championship, we did think about the 1973-74 championship,” she says.
She explains the importance of highlighting athletes of color in Wisconsin. “I feel that there is some amazing talent in Wisconsin and/or people who left Wisconsin and went on to do some amazing things. However, it’s our history to not give Black people credit. I think this mural will give the neighborhood much pride. Sports is something we can all agree on, no matter what our ethnicity is. This mural is long overdue.”
Her team worked tirelessly in the harsh Wisconsin cold to get it done. “After deciding on the subject, I look for images, then create a collage layout. I always make several changes,” she explains. “In this case the background wasn’t working so I decided to look at top views of baseball, football, basketball and track fields. I love the geometric shapes, played with bold colors and overlapping.
“Scaling is key. The design needs to have the same dimensions of the final mural. This mural is 12x 32 feet. After projecting the mural, which is very tedious and time consuming, many adjustments need to be made in the sketch before painting. We used several layers of paint, two-four layers. And my father has taught me the importance of prepping, priming and sealing.”
It was grueling work, but murals have the power to instill a sense of pride in the neighborhood, adding color, beauty and giving people a voice.
