Her work is more than just bright colors. There’s a message behind her design.
“The shoe, the sneaker, it actually represents the need in the Black community to always show our worth through our fashion and through our appearances,” Spencer said.
“When I was younger, I got bullied by people because I couldn’t afford Jordans or Nike and if you didn’t have all the flyest fit than you weren’t cool,” she said. “And I always thought, ‘Shouldn’t your morals determine how you get treated?’ But sometimes that’s not always the case.”
The mural on Essex Street has been more than a year in the making. Carlos Prudencio and Damianny Garrido, the two teen organizers, pushed the city to make it happen. Now they hope the art prompts a deeper conversation.