At the unveiling of a mural of John R. Lewis, the late food activist’s father, Peter, talks about his son while John’s mother, Harriet, comforts her grandsons Elijah, 7, and Anais, 5. (Photo by Jay Paul)
A mural honoring the late co-founder of Renew Richmond has joined others at Sankofa Community Orchard in South Side.
Sir James L. Thornhill painted the portrait, and R. Vashti Woods painted the landscape of the mural, which pays tribute to John R. Lewis, an inspirational figure in Richmond’s food justice community who died in 2021 at 37 years old. As executive director of Renew Richmond, Lewis taught students how to grow food at several urban agricultural sites to advance food and environmental justice.
When Sankofa opened in 2021, the 2-acre orchard featured about a dozen murals by local Black artists honoring innovators and freedom fighters such as George Washington Carver and Fannie Lou Hamer.
“John was a force. He was an inspiration to me,” says Duron Chavis, who created the orchard and is the founder and director of Happily Natural Day. “We worked closely together during his time in Richmond at Renew Richmond. I probably wouldn’t be doing this work if it wasn’t for us finding each other. We built so many gardens together, pushed policy forward for urban agriculture in the city, and his legacy is staggering in the youth he engaged. We are a better city because of him.”
