Birth of a Fallen Legacy 2023 poster
The 2nd Annual Birth of a Fallen Legacy Gallery Walk fundraiser takes place this Saturday, Sept. 2 from 1 to 5:30 p.m, at 8700 W. Brown Deer Road. The project honors those whose lives have been lost to police violence as well as reclaiming the narrative that the media often paints with police-related shootings. Each fundraiser celebrates one victim’s life per year with their stories conveyed by a coalition of local artists while money is raised for the victim’s family.
Taleavia Cole created the Birth of a Fallen Legacy project. Her brother, Alvin Cole, was fatally shot by police outside Mayfair Mall in February 2020. When the 2020 uprisings began following the murder of George Floyd, Taleavia Cole joined a local movement known as The People’s Revolution (TPR) that has sought justice and accountability for victims of police brutality in the Greater Milwaukee area. Cole and TPR have specifically demanded justice for Thee Three, referring to Jay Anderson Jr., Antonio Gonzales and Alvin Cole; all of whom were fatally shot within five years by the same Wauwatosa police officer, Joseph Mensah.
Cole hopes to keep the mission alive through positive community building, which became her inspiration to launch Birth of a Fallen Legacy; the first one took place on April 23, 2022 and honored Alvin Cole.
“These families and community members are still healing,” Cole says on the Birth of A Fallen Legacy event page. “This is our form of healing and telling our stories from our perspectives.”
Saturday’s event celebrates the life of Jay Anderson Jr. There will be over 15 different artists plus food, live music, raffles and plenty of community love. Participating artists are each focusing on different aspects of Anderson Jr's life.
The keynote speaker is Montréal Cain, founder and CEO of crisis intervention company MERA CARES. “Some of us will never face our offender face to face,” Taleavia Cole concludes. “We will through art.”
Purchase tickets for the 2nd Annual Birth of A Fallen Legacy Gallery Walk here.
