North Philly Mural on Suicide Fosters Discursive Healing

By Claudia Romano, Dana Leonard, & Elizabeth Teerlink

Watch the Video.

Background: Researching This Video Project.

As we made the journey from Swarthmore to North Philadelphia to meet with James Burns, we discussed our expectations, or lack thereof, for this interview. We had done a MuralArts tour through our sociolinguistics course a couple of weeks prior that had inspired us to center our final project around murals in Philly. But on that train ride, we realized that we didn’t really know where we were going with this project’s narrative. We walked out of the train station into North Philly and found ourselves in an alleyway after following the directions James had given us. We called James, unable to find the studio he was working in, and it all became clear from there.

We Discovered More than a Mural.

James Burns emerged from the building, warmly welcomed us in, and gave us a tour, revealing that in addition to housing studios, the building contained warehouses and industrial workshops as well. He led us into the studio he was working in. We marveled for a second at the mural being painted on the walls, at the quirky sculptures, and at the artists at work before quickly setting up for our interview. After talking with James for the interview, our video's purpose and focus was sharpened.  It was evident that he was very passionate about his mural Finding the Light Within, a mural about suicide victims in Philadelphia.  He was willing and enthusiastic to talk with us at length about the details of this mural, and mental health issues in general. We, the interviewers and filmmakers, also hold a stake in this topic, so the interview ultimately unfurled into an hour-long conversation.

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Visual Storytelling as Discursive Healing.

We were fascinated by what the mural Finding the Light Within had done to support a community and to create one as well. Behind this particular mural lies not only James, the artist, but all of the people who helped create it, the experiences of the suicide victims whose faces are on the mural, the stories of their families, and the support system of people who came together during the process of creation. As we watched and re-watched our footage from our conversation with James we developed an understanding of the linguistic landscape of this mural.

The process of creating this mural yielded a space for individuals to come together and discuss mental health and this figurative, discursive space is the linguistic landscape of Finding the Light Within. Everyone who occupied this space will forever be a part of the mural itself as well as the community that emerged from it. Our experience with making this video has informed us of the incredible power of murals, and we hope that the next time you walk by one you consider the literal and imagined community it represents. 

About the Authors.

Claudia Romano is a junior at Swarthmore College studying Sociology & Anthropology and Film & Media Studies. 

Dana Leonard studies Sociology and Anthropology at Swarthmore College.

Elizabeth Teerlink is a junior at Swarthmore College, majoring in Economics and Sociology & Anthropology with a minor in Mathematics/Statistics.

**For more information about Philadelphia's MuralArts program, and how to book a tour, click here. Many thanks to our partners at MuralArts and the community supporting Finding the Light Within.