Episode 1 – Walls Talk: 250 Years of Black Expression
Celebrating Black History Month in this three-part podcast series. In Episode 1, we explore how public art serves as a living archive of Black culture, resilience, and community memory.
Co-hosted by Ashley Templeton of Art to Go-Go and Nancee Lyons of MuralsDC, this conversation features artist Jay Coleman and social historian Seifu Hawkins. Together, they reflect on the stories, legacies, and creative visions shaping Anacostia’s public spaces.
From concept to completion, Jay shares the inspiration behind his Anacostia projects and how he balances personal artistry with community storytelling. Seifu brings historical depth, highlighting the Black narratives that define DC—and how murals preserve history in ways books sometimes cannot.
As we celebrate Black History Month and look ahead to America’s 250th anniversary, this episode asks: What does it mean to have Black expression permanently visible in public space? And how can art and history work together to shape collective memory for generations to come?
Photo credits:
3:17 Jeremy Reaves
4:45 Black Power in Washington D.C., 1961-1998
6:12 Herman Hiller, World Telegram staff photographer. Library of Congress. New York World-Telegram & Sun Collection.
6:17 Flip Schulke/CORBIS
6:44 (AP Photo)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
11:49 Jeremy Reaves
12:31 (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
13:24 Skip Bolen/Getty Images
14:26 White House Historical Association
17:04 DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities
19:18 Jeremy Reaves
22:07 Phil Hutinet
Episode 2 – Walls Talk: 250 Years of Black Expression
Featuring:
Montu Mitchell – artist and Go-Go champion
Crazy Legs – Beat Ya Feet legend
Ron Moten – Founder of the Go-Go Museum & leader of Don’t Mute DC
From murals that document culture—not just decorate walls—to celebrating 20 years of Beat Ya Feet Kings and protecting Go-Go’s rightful place in the city, this conversation explores what it means to make DC’s homegrown culture visible, permanent, and proud.
How do murals and museums work together to preserve history?
What does it mean to keep Go-Go alive through sound, movement, and public space?
And how does putting this culture on the wall empower the next generation?
The walls are talking—and they’re speaking Go-Go.
About the series: In honor of Black History Month and as we look ahead to America’s 250th anniversary, Walls Talk is a podcast conversation on how public art serves as a living archive of Black culture, resilience, and community memory. This series is a partnership between Art to Go-Go and MuralsDC.
Photo Credits:
4:48 https://www.crankrock.com/
8:49 @dmv_oldschools
10:52 Montu Mitchell
12:16 KQED
13:29 Montu Mitchell
13:47 Globe Poster, 1980s. Collection of Roger Gastman.
18:59 MuralsDC
19:07 Photograph by Michael A. McCoy / The Washington Post / Getty
19:14 MuralsDC
23:03 WUSA9
23:18 WUSA9
25:55 YouTube @Jlbrowneyes
27:14 Crazy Legz
Episode 3 – Walls Talk: 250 Years of Black Expression
Featuring: Aniekan Udoia and Eric B. Ricks
Aniekan Udofia reflects on the research behind his powerful portraits of historic Black icons like Frederick Douglass and Marvin Gaye—and how imagination and mythology in series like Return of the Shaolin Pencil elevate Black figures with strength, permanence, and presence in public space.
Eric B. Ricks shares how abstraction, symbolism, and geometric form allow him to tell layered cultural stories beyond traditional portraiture. He also offers insight into his upcoming Anacostia project at the 295 underpass and how embedding meaning into pattern and composition creates lasting impact.
Together, they explore what it means for their murals to become part of DC’s physical landscape—and potentially its historical fabric.
How does it feel to create work that may outlive you?
What will future generations take away 25, 50, or even 100 years from now?
And how does art not just preserve history—but actively shape it?
The walls are telling stories of power, legacy, and imagination. Listen now.
About this series: In honor of Black History Month and as we look ahead to America’s 250th anniversary, Walls Talk is a podcast conversation on how public art serves as a living archive of Black culture, resilience, and community memory. This series is a partnership between Art to Go-Go and MuralsDC.
3:47 Jamelle Bouie
4:37 ABC7
6:38 Barbara Picci
7:16 MuralsDC
9:03 Phoenix Fine Arts
12:09 MuralsDC
13:43 Phoenix Fine Arts
14:18 Eric B. Ricks
16:40 Google Maps
18:19 Eric B. Ricks
19:53 MuralsDC
25:30 Ashley Templeton
