SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A mural project in Sacramento highlighting Chicano activism and culture is changing the way people think about Latina women, and this mural is on the move.
“It makes me kind of proud for them that they are trying to speak up for some things that Latino women and Latinos, in general, are going through,” said Woodland High School Senior Brian Landros.
This month Woodland High School unveiled a mobile mural highlighting Chicano women — also known as “poderosas.” Local teachers and artists created it, including Ruby Chacon and Isabell Martinez.
They invite students to engage with the mural and learn about the women painted in it.
“We talked to them about some of the symbols on the mural... we laid out a bunch of butcher paper on the table where students were about to draw from the mural or what justice means to them,” said Martinez.
Nine Latina and Chicana women were chosen to be portrayed. They are all still living and are active in our local community.
“Actually, one of the poderosas, Rhonda Reels Kravitz, she conducted the workshops with us," said Martinez. “It was really great to have her because students had a lot of questions for her, and she has so much knowledge to give.”
You can see different countries and cultures represented in their clothing and the stacks of books showing the colors of different Latin American national flags.
“We have a lot of strength, we have a lot of power that we have to offer," said Chacon. "That’s what I want people to take away.”
The mural is not only a beautiful piece of art, but it’s also an educational tool with high-tech features. There are QR codes that can direct people to more information about the women and their accomplishments.
The Sacramento Poderosas Project
For more information on the Sacramento Poderosas Mural Project, click here to visit their website and donation page.
