Remembering William Walker’s Iconic Artwork
as well as a current day photo of the whitewashed exterior.
In 1972, William Walker painted All of Mankind: The Unity of the Human Race on a historic church near Art on Sedgwick. The mural, considered one of Walker’s best, depicted four figures of different genders, races, and religions united in harmony.
Originally built as an Episcopal church in 1901, the building became a Roman Catholic mission for poor Italian immigrants in 1927. In the early 1970s, a progressive priest commissioned Walker to create murals inside and outside the church, reflecting the triumphs and struggles of Black Americans, civil rights leaders, and the hope for equality across racial, gender, and religious lines. Though whitewashed by 2015, these murals remain a testament to the neighborhood’s diverse history and the resilience of its Black community.
Art on Sedgwick is part of a coalition working to save the building and restore the murals, ensuring Walker’s work is appreciated once again. This year, the All of Mankind Project will honor and reimagine Walker’s legacy through a variety of community events and artworks:
- A commemorative book
ABOUT WILLIAM WALKER
William Walker (1927 – 2011) is considered the founding father of the community mural movement. In 1967, as the organizer of the Wall of Respect — a mural depicting images of significant black heroes on a two story shuttered tavern at 43rd Street and Langley — he was the first to create accessible artworks in and for the community as a reflection of the people’s aspirations and pride. This helped launch the public art movement in Chicago and is estimated to have inspired at least 1,500 community murals across the country.
All of Mankind: the Unity of the Human Race
In the early 1970’s, a progressive priest petitioned the archdiocese to use the shuttered San Marcello Mission Church (later Northside Stranger’s Home Missionary Baptist Church) to minister to people living in the adjacent William Green Homes. As part of his outreach, he commissioned Walker to paint murals on the interior and exterior walls. Considered one of Walker’s finest works, All of Mankind illuminated the triumph and struggles of Black Americans, the mourning of religious and civil rights leaders lost to violence, and the hope for human equality and harmony across differences in race, gender, and religion.
