Herbert Hightower Memorial Mural by Brandon "BT Thomas, Ahmed "Afro" Davis

This mural was created in response to community requests to the Burien City Council to honor the Black Lives Matter movement.  A six-person jury panel, comprised of five people of color who had various expertise in public art and community engagement, selected artists Brandon “BT” Thomas and Afro SPK (Ahmed Bashir), two artists who contributed to Seattle’s Black Lives Matter street mural and are now members of the Vivid Matter Collective.

The artists were inspired by the story of Herbert Hightower, Jr., a young Black man who had been killed by Seattle police officers in 2004.  They spent a year talking with the Hightower family and held a community symposium to share information about the project.  From those conversations, the vision for the mural was formed.  The artists wanted to respect the family’s grief and celebrate Herbert’s love of drawing and comic books.  In the mural, Herbert is transformed into the superhero Power Herb and pictured defeating a robot.

The artists forged a connection with the administration at Hazel Valley Elementary, a dual-language elementary school in Burien with a racially diverse student body.  The mural is featured on the side of the school’s outdoor basketball court.  Hazel Valley students have shown excitement and interest in the artwork, and the story that inspired it.