DC Murals That Remind Us of Our Cultural Identity
Written by Cynthia Via
In DC, murals give the landscape a certain flair, but they also express the city’s cultural identity. They illuminate histories that lay hidden especially in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. Some murals have stood the test of time despite being at risk for demolition, a few recently captured by WETA’s episode about Latino Murals.
During unstable political environments, murals remind us of community resilience, harmony and diversity. Every time you walk through these streets, you can’t help but encounter a mural you haven’t seen before. It brings the viewer curiosity for the artist and what they’re trying to say, whether in abstract or realistic form. Below is a list of recently-painted murals that shed light on community projects and our favorite heroes.
Satellites of Hope – Joel Bergner (2024)
300 7th St. SW, Washington DC 20024
Located at the WMATA Headquarters, the Satellites of Hope mural emphasizes the intersection of Earth Science and technology, highlighting how satellites play a critical role in providing solutions to challenges faced by local communities, but also around the world. Bergner has created murals in at least 30 countries, shedding light on vulnerable communities, including the Syrian refugee camps, American prisons, favelas of Brazil, and orphanages in South Africa, among others. See a time lapse of the WMATA mural project.
Female Samurai – Casey Kawaguchi (2024)
Adams Morgan, behind Mint Gym Studio
Casey Kawaguchi is a Japanese American artist, based in Denver, Colorado, who has been gracing urban streets with a recurring female character. The female figure stems from his Japanese heritage and comic book inspirations. Last year, he created a similar samurai female character in DC as part of the DC Walls Festival. He uses the character to access other parts of his creative identity. “I wanted to connect with my reality through the Japanese aesthetics and honor my family, but also represent myself,” Kawaguchi said in an Up Magazine interview. “Two generations before my grandma, my family were samurai,” Kawaguchi added.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson mural (2022)
14th and S Streets NW in Washington, D.C.
Walking down D.C.’s 14th Street you can’t help but smile at the image of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson surrounded by geometric shapes of yellow, purple and red. It sits above Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman appointed to the federal judiciary. In 2022, Judge Jackson became the first Black woman confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. “For Black Americans, specifically Black Women, this represents a major breakthrough in becoming more fairly represented in the policies and laws that shape our country,” said Sista SCOTUS, who spearheaded the project, after the confirmation. Muralist Nia Keturah Calhoun was able to design and paint the mural in a few weeks, with the help of No Kings Collective, a D.C.-based design collective.
Alma Indigena (2021)
1564 Wisconsin Ave. NW
In a mix of modern aesthetics with the artist’s unique flare, Alma Idigena shows an indigenous Wixárika Elder, surrounded by ingredients like blue maiz and guajillo peppers, typical of native cultures. Created by street artist Victor Quiñonez (who recently won the The Frieze 2025 Los Angeles Impact Prize), the mural was inspired by Diego Huerta’s photography and the indigenous people of Jalisco. The Huichol or Wixárika are indigenous people living in the Sierra Madre Occidental range in the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Zacatecas, and Durango, as well as in U.S. states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
Amanda Gordon (2021):
1608 17th St. NW
The yellow tinted mural, created by by Kaliq Crosby, honors Amanda Gorman on Inauguration Day when she recited a poem for President Joe Biden. The work went up in 2021 during International Women’s Day. It’s an image that brightens Dupont Circle with the poet’s memorable quote: “For there is always light if only we’re able to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” Crosby has other murals across DC including his collaboration with artist Rose Jaffe, “The Beauty of Buzzards Point” which depicts DC’s most famous legends like Chuck Brown, Frederick Douglass, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Marvin Gaye and Ms. LaBrand.
Nourishing and Flourishing with Delight (2019)
Grant Park
5600 East Capitol St. NE
The writing of Maya Angelou was the literary landscape of many childhoods. And, it’s no surprise this legend continues to inspire us on our daily walks. The mural titled, Nourishing and Flourishing with Delight was created by Liberia-born artist Eric B. Ricks, and sits on the side of the Maya Angelou Charter School. It has a mixture of teal, purple and yellow with a lively depiction of the author, smiling radiantly next to a bird feeding another one. Next to the portrait there’s a quote by Angelou, “If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be.”
Birth Control Way (2020) – Rose Jaffe
Corner of 9th 7 U street
Art can be used as a form of social activism, as seen through Birth Control Way by Rose Jaffe. The artist created this work for the National Womens Law Center’s campaign about birth control coverage and a person’s right to choose. In a 2022 interview, Jaffe expressed the importance of amplifying messages on social justice and social change. “Art has always played an important role in revolution, disseminating information and crossing language barriers,” she said. The mural contains a collage of women existing through a variety of lenses, but each with the right to choose what is best for their body, as exemplified by the quote below the art work: “My freedom, my voice, My birth control, my choice.”
Cynthia Via is a journalist, poet, and editor based in the DC area. Originally born in Peru and raised in New York, her work explores gender, culture, everyday absurdism, and the relationship between humans and nature. Her poetry and prose has appeared in Acentos Review, Coffin Bell Journal, Gravity & Grace, Write or Die, among others. She’s a Tin House and VONA Workshop alumna for Fiction and CNF. During off hours she spies on birds and ice skates.