A new mural dedicated to the late Benjamin Zephaniah will soon be unveiled.
Commissioned by Black Heritage Walks Network and painted by artist Bunny Bread, the new mural will be revealed on April 14 at the Handsworth Park in Birmingham, the city where Zephaniah was born and raised.
To create the project, historian Dawn Carr, the people of Birmingham and Zephaniah’s family were all involved. With the new artwork, the city will be commemorating his role as “the people’s champion” that he maintained through his writing and activism.
“Benjamin really stood for the people, when you listen to his music and his poetry, his causes were always in front of him,” said artist Bunny Bread per the BBC.
The new artwork comes one month after another mural for Zepheniah was unveiled in Birmingham at the city’s local airport.
Before being given to a community group, the mural, which featured the activist as the main figure surrounded by other Birmingham legends such as Ozzy Osbourne, was on display for a week at the airport.
The artwork was created to celebrate the culture of the city.
“There is far more to Birmingham than meets the eye,” said artist Gent 48 per BBC.
The new murals come just months after Zephaniah passed away. On Dec. 7, 2023, the poet and activist died at the age of 65 after being diagnosed with a brain tumor eight weeks prior to his passing.
Throughout the course of four decades, Zephaniah made his mark by publishing at least 30 books ranging from work for children to teenagers to adults. Through his work, he discussed issues such as environmental issues, of which he is considered to be amongst the first poets to write about climate change, as well as racism.
For his writing, which includes novels such as “Refugee Boy” and collections “Wicked World!,” Zephaniah was awarded 16 honorary doctorates, recently receiving one from the University of Birmingham in 2008.
The activist also notably protested against police brutality for decades. Zephaniah was active in discussing both his experiences with police brutality and also that of his cousin, Mikey Powell, who was assaulted by the police and died of asphyxiation in a police van.
Zephaniah became known for intertwining activism with music, telling the story of the 13 Black teenagers and young adults who died in a New Cross house fire in his track “13 Dead.”
For his work, he was offered the Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Zephaniah rejected the award, highlighting it as a symbol of British colonialism and enslavement.
