we spotted this mural from afar...
This was on the corner of 32nd and Imperial Ave.
We recognized some of the faces on the mural (not in order) - Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King.
On the western end of the mural was Cesar Chavez, the Brazilian statue of Christ the Redeemer, and the Dalai Lama. "No Apartheid", the wall proclaimed. The colors looked faded and there was graffiti marring the surface alrady.
The woman holding her right hand up forming an "L" is former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, who was elected after the downfall of Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. She was the first female president; her husband, Senator Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino was assassinated by Marcos' henchmen. After nearly two decades of martial law, the Filipino people revolted against the government, toppling Marcos from power.
The "L" stands for "laban" which is the Filipino word for "fight". The term also stands for "Lakas ng Bayan" or "People's Power".
The artist of this mural is none other than Mario Torero, whom I've posted on before (Prince mural" in Barrio Logan, Golden Hill Liquor, Freedom mural at Einstein Academy; he's also done a lot of murals in Chicano Park). These photos were taken while passing by in our car. We're going to have to come back again to take proper closeup. I am serious. The link below shows photos of the mural when it was first unveiled in 2002. Next to each portrait is the person's name. He unfortunately spelled Aquino's country incorrectly, "Filipines", not Philippines. :(
More vibrant photos of the mural with this link:
Calisphere.org
and more details about the mural and artist:
OnlineArchiveofCalifornia
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