Brooklyn students paint mural to prevent gun violence

Brooklyn students work on a mural they hope will prevent more gun violence in their neighborhood

The 14-by-100-foot mural facing Brower Park in Crown Heights is big, bold,

and sends a powerful message to passersby: local teens won't tolerate

gun violence. Since early August, high school students have been

collaborating on the mural with professional artists through the

Groundswell Community Mural Project, a non-profit organization

that encourages youth to promote social change through art.

“Working on this mural has been an inspirational experience, and can

only be the beginning of positive change in the community,” said sixteen

year-old Urantia Ramirez, a student at at El Puente Academy for Peace

and Justice. “I’m working on this to be able to complete something

positive with my art.”The mural depicts images of life and death and

is aimed at getting guns off the streets.Both President Obama and

Mayor Bloomberg have asked citizens to improve their communities,

and across the five boroughs, young New Yorkers are answering the

call.Sixteen year-old aspiring artist Adan Palermo, a student at Fort

Hamilton High School said the mural project has had a significant

impact on his life. “This experience has opened my mind towards

the people around me.”

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