NEW ORLEANS – Telley Madina, president of New Orleans-based Madina Group Consulting, and artist Ted Ellis have teamed up to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington by releasing an original painting.
In 1963, more than a quarter million people gathered for a peaceful protest near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. It was where Dr. King delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech.
“I wanted to capture that moment when thousands of Americans were holding their hand-held signs illustrating their reasons and intent for being present on that warm day in August nonviolently protesting for civil rights,” said Ellis in a press release. “My inclusion of the children at the forefront of the painting symbolically speaks to the future.”
A native New Orleanian, Ellis is the inaugural director of the new Florida State University Civil Rights Institute.
“This painting is also a welcome addition to my series of paintings that will be part of the permanent collection soon to be on exhibition at FSU’s Civil Rights Institute,” he said.
“Having been present at the 60th anniversary commemoration of the original March on Washington and leading conversations that continue to amplify one of the greatest and most consequential racial justice demonstrations in United States history, I am reminded that this isn’t about a minute in time but a moment in history that still requires calls to action and that’s why teaming up with Ted Ellis to promote the importance of his work was an easy decision,” said Madina.
