Paint Branch Bridge Mural: A Path Forward

Paint Branch Bridge Mural: A Path Forward. . , "A Path Forward," completed in August 2018, honors and celebrates Lakeland, the historical African-American community within the City of College Park. Honoring a rich past and expressing hope for a rich future, the mural is part of an ongoing effort to highlight the intersection and interdependence of campus and community. Lakeland was formed around 1890 on the doorstep of the Maryland Agricultural College, now the University of Maryland. Since 1890, the story of Lakeland has been the tale of a community that was established, flourished, and thrived within a segregated society, developing its own institutions and traditions until the federal government's urban renewal program displaced families and undermined its self-contained uniqueness. Many of today's Lakeland families have lived in the community for generations and, with the help of its legacy families throughout the region, sustain its cultural history., The mural was completed by a team of artists, including lead artists Sierra Sigmone, David Silva, and Bonnie Simonds, Parker Brock (crew leader) and Jazmyne Brock, Jamie Rogers-Sites Rebekah Chung, Victoria Lewis, and Rachel Hithon. This project was supported by the College Park City-University Partnership, M-NCPPC, Lakeland Community Heritage Project, UMD's Office of Community Engagement, College Park Arts Exchange, and the College Park Scholars with grants from Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Nonprofit Assistance Fund, the College Park Community Foundation, and Maryland Milestone., [Captions:] , Lake Artemesia was initially dug in the mid-nineteenth century and became a center of recreation for the community., Embry A.M.E. Church and the First Baptist Church of College Park sponsored Cub Scout Pack 1025 and Boy Scout Troop 1025., Dervey A. Lomax was a College Park Councilmember and was elected Mayor in 1973., Rev. Milton A. Covington led the congregation of the First Baptist Church of Lakeland for 47 years., First Baptist Church of Lakeland (later College Park) in 1891 and Embry Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (later Embry AME Church) in 1903 and Lakeland's historical congregation. Both are still on Lakeland Road today., Dessie Randall Thomas was one of the first Lakelanders to seek a post-secondary education and was superintendent at Embry A.M.E. Church for thirty-two years., The university employed Lakeland residents but didn't admit black students until 1954., Lake Artemesia Park was once home to about a third of the community. That area was forcibly redeveloped in the 1970s., Edgar A. Smith was a Lakeland principal from 1928 to 1966. He also served as a classroom teacher. Smith completed his master's degree at Temple University., Lakeland had two Rosenwald schools, Lakeland Elementary and Lakeland High School. The Lakeland Elementary school building was on the site of Lake Artemesia Natural Area.