La Lucha Continua: a talking mural in San Francisco

La Lucha Continua / The Struggle Continues is a talking wall
which you can hear by going to the mural location
3260 23rd St - between Mission and Capp Streets in San Francisco.

At the mural site is a key of extension numbers.
Dial 415.200.4587 followed by the 
extension number of the person you wish to hear and enjoy

- or your can download a printable mural key here

Mural master photo

Using this site: You can interact with the photo of the mural above to learn more about each of the individuals portrayed and to hear an audio clip by or about them. Simply move your mouse over the desired individual and click. Or click on the name below.

About: The mural | Susan Greene, the artist
The portraits: Mumia Abu-Jamal, Aristide, Judi Bari, Soha Bechara, Maurice Bishop, Madame Binh,
Marilyn Buck
, Sitting Bull, Cesar Chavez, Rachel Corrie, Bernadette Devlin, Franz Fanon, Ghandi,
Emma Goldman
, Che Guevara, Handala, Joe Hill, Dolores Huerta, Frida Kahlo, Leila Khaled,
Martin Luther King Jr
., Lolita Lebron, Audre Lorde, Patrice Lumumba, Rosa Luxemburg,
Farabundo Martí
, José Martí, Rigoberta Menchu, Leonard Peltier, Archbishop Oscar Romero,
Edward Said
, Augusto César Sandino, Assata Shakur, Harriet Tubman, Pancho Villa,
Malcolm X
, Sofia Yamaika, Emiliano Zapata

Lolita Lebron, Puerto Rican nationalist Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador Martin Luther King, Jr. Augusto Cesar Sandino of Nicaragua Leila Khaled of Palestine Rigoberta Menchu of Guatemala Cesar Chavez of the United Farmworkers Cesar Chavez Harriet Tubman, conductor on the Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman, conductor on the Underground Railroad Assata Shakur of the Black Liberation Movement Assata Shakur of the Black Liberation Movement Judi Bari, environmental and labor activist Madame Binh of Viet Nam Madame Binh of Viet Nam Emiliano Zapata of Mexico Marilyn Buck, antiracist activist Rosa Luxemberg of Germany Joe Hill, IWW organizer Mumia Abu-Jamal, death row journalist Bernadette Devlin of Ireland Farabundo Marti of El Salvador Bertrande Aristide of Haiti Edward Said of Palestine Audre Lorde, feminist poet Leonard Peltier of the American Indian Movement Rachel Corrie of the International Solidarity Movement with Palestine Che Guevara Sofia Yamaika, partisan of the Polish ghetto Frida Kahlo of Mexico Maurice Bishop of Grenada Maurice Bishop of Grenada Soha Bechara of Lebanon Soha Bechara of Lebanon Soha Bechara of Lebanon Handala of Palestine Nelson Mandela of South Africa Malcolm X - El Haj Malik El-Shabazz Malcolm X - El Haj Malik El-Shabazz Sitting Bull Sitting Bull Augusto Sandino of Nicaragua Dolores Huerta of the United Farm Workers Dolores Huerta Pancho Villa of Mexico Pancho Villa of Mexico José Martí of Cuba Franz Fanon Mahatma Ghandi Mahatma Ghandi Franz Fanon Emma Goldman, American anarchist and feminist Patrice Lumumba of the Congo Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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somewhere in advance of nowhere*: youth, imagination and transformation
Another Bay Area project that utilized open-source technology for sound and public visual art.

To hear Rena's poem (ext. 11)        To hear Luara's Poem (ext. 20)        To hear Drew's poem (ext. 26)
or you can call 415 200-4587 and dial the extensions above

This project included interactive portraits installed through out the city. It stemed from the creation of 18 paintings by Evan Bissell of spoken-word poets (aged 15-20) who work with Youth Speaks. Evan worked with the Freedom Archives to create multi-media pieces that captured elements of the poets' spoken and performed art. In 2007, he created an audio recording of each poet. What developed was a way to listen to each portrait on the street by calling a posted phone number (by cellphone) while looking at the portrait.

The audio added a dynamic dimension to the project and contributed a significant innovation to San Francisco murals and public art. While this technology has been in use for some time in museums and at construction sites, this was the first partnership of a non-profit and individual artist using that technology in community-based murals. For this project, the poets chose which neighborhood they wanted their portraits installed. Their writings and performances spoke directly to people on the street in these communities. One mentor to the poets wrote shortly after coming across one of the portraits, "the gravity of the work did not hit me until last night. It is SO powerful to see these young writers displayed with such beauty and dignity, and to be able to listen to their poems right away. It's as if there's a 24/7 spoken word show in the parts of the city where it's needed most. I was truly brought to tears last night!"

The portraits and their installation using the audio technology are a prototype of grassroots media - a forum for uncensored youth voice. These public spaces, especially for young people of color, are a rare and significant platform of free expression.

The public presence of the poetry excited and engaged the poets, who felt greater ownership over their pieces. As one of the poets shared in a radio interview, "That portrait showed me that I actually developed as a leader from out of nowhere. I wasn't an honor student, I wasn't the person that the adults and the teachers said, 'you're going to be a success.' It shows so much fire that I just realized there is so much more to do right now."

There were 14 total portraits in public spaces in San Francisco.
These were at 16th Street BART