'This is beautiful,' Yeager Street mural features Black-owned businesses
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTEXAS) – A new mural in Fort Worth is teaching people in the community about local Black history. The artwork featuring local Black-owned businesses details the evolution of various entrepreneurs in the city.
When you're driving on the east side of Fort Worth pay close attention to the 2800 block of Yeager Street.
"What goes through my mind when I see the mural, is 'this is beautiful'," Franklin and Anthony Tailor Owner, Franklin Moss Jr. said. "Knowing that I'm a part of history or something that's grown in Fort Worth in the entrepreneur world, it just means a lot."
The custom clothing brand and tailor is also featured in the mural.
The mural was commissioned by CommUnity Frontline, a local nonprofit focused on tackling problems they see on the east side of town. "We had a Black Wall Street here in the city of Fort Worth that was thriving was excellent and it contributed a lot to our city and we wanted to bring that back and show people that," Community Frontline President Dante Williams said.
One of those problems helped inspire the organization's hard work to put together this piece. They were able to work with local artist, Armando Castelan.
"There wasn't enough attention being given to Black businesses within our city and so our effort to kind of showcase them, highlight them, the history of what's been here," Williams said.
A prominent painting that honors the past – and celebrates the present.
"The hands of the mural represent that connectedness and showing that you know, if we can do this together — we can actually build each other up," Williams said.
The mural highlights local Black leaders like Amanda Davis — the first property owner in the historic stop six neighborhood and businesses like Black Coffee.
"We don't want to confine Black History to just one month of the year," Community Frontline Executive Director, Quinton Phillips said.
"It's just good to see these different representations happening and people having a reference of who was here then and who is here now," Moss Jr. said.
Click here to read more about the history featured on the mural.