“Kitchen Table conversations; On-going” by Dustin Hunt // Summer 2022

950 Abbot Road // East Lansing, Michigan

Approximately 45’ W X 15’ H // latex and spray paint

The City of East Lansing put a call out in 2020 to artists interested in creating a mural at a downtown location that depicted East Lansing's civil rights history and centered BIPOC perspectives. Dustin Hunt was one of four artists selected to develop a design for the City. The City chose another artist in the end. At the same time, East Lansing Public Library's director, Kristin Shelley, took an interest in Dustin's design and advocated bringing the design to the library. Having attended Spartan Village Elementary and Hannah Middle School in the 90s, Dustin was among a few white students in his neighborhood and friend group. Families from all over the world welcomed Dustin and his family into the rich and diverse cultural fabric of Spartan Village Apartment Complex at a formative time in their lives. These experiences shaped Dustin's worldview and inevitably became the seedlings for him to develop an anti-racist framework later in life. Dustin's connection to East Lansing and a desire to pay back BIPOC friends and families that looked out for him inspired the design. 

This mural aims to honor and celebrate the ongoing work of black folks and families in East Lansing that continue contributing to the community to create a more equitable future. Instead of celebrating singular icons and achievements, this mural aims to create a tapestry of shared and lived experiences, interrelated and ongoing, that touch upon progress and areas of improvement concerning East Lansing's civil rights. An interactive webpage accessible by QR code near the mural will highlight Dr. Ralph Bonner and the Bonner family's contribution to East Lansing's civil rights history and more. By centering past and current BIPOC residents in the mural and web page, viewers can observe their neighbors, friends, and colleagues' perspectives that act as a living history. Additionally, this mural highlights the legacy of discriminatory aspects of East Lansing's history designed and upheld by white communities.

This mural project was made possible with the support of the East Lansing Art Commission, the Public Art Selection Committee, Kristin Sheley, and the East Lansing Public Library's Board of Trustees.

Dustin would like to extend a massive thanks to each subject for trusting him to feature them in this mural.

Photos by McShane Photography