Dr. Edwin Coleman, Jr., Center Mural Project

In 2019, FAN Equity Action Team received two City of Eugene Neighborhood Matching Grants and raised the matching donations needed to fund the creation of three murals and an informational signboard to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Coleman, for whom the community center in Westmoreland Park was renamed by the Eugene City Council in April, 2018.  Support for the Coleman Center Mural Project came from many organizations, businesses, and individuals in the community.

Thank you to all who have helped the Dr. Edwin Coleman Jr. Center Mural Project be a huge success!

The first mural on the south wall was completed in May, 2019. Designed by muralist Jessilyn Brinkerhoff, it shows Dr. Coleman during his 50 years in Eugene as an educator, musician, civil rights activist, writer, and community and UO campus organizer.

The second mural on the west wall, right, was completed in October, 2019. Designed by muralist Esteban Camacho Steffensen, it illustrates two of Dr. Coleman’s passions throughout his life:  Social Justice and Music.  It features Dr. Coleman in a “magical” jazz band of iconic musicians with whom he performed, and visionary civil rights leaders, some of whom he met.  The figures in the mural are Edwin and Charmaine Coleman; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Maya Angelou; Cal Tjader; Miles Davis; James Baldwin; Peter, Paul and Mary; and Mahatma Gandhi. Read the quotes included on this mural and the artist's statement.

The theme of the third mural on the west wall, left, is “Building a Better, More Just and Equitable World.” The designs on this mural were created by middle school students at Boys & Girls Club, which is housed in the Center. The students were asked to bring the ideas they had learned about the life and legacy of Dr. Coleman into the present and future, and to envision a better, more just and equitable world. What would a better world look like, and how can each one of us help to make it better? The students worked with Lane Arts Council muralist Jessilyn Brinkerhoff to create the designs, which she arranged in a beautiful mural. The students then spent several days painting the mural, with the assistance of 30 community volunteers.  

The informational signboard was installed in December 2020. A final Mural Celebration was held on Aug. 8, 2021.

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Articles about Dr. Edwin Coleman, Jr. and the Coleman Center Mural Project
​Dr. Edwin Coleman passed away in January 2017. Dr. Coleman was an educator, musician, community activist, and family man. He was a leader in Eugene advocating for human and civil rights for more than 50 years. He was a tenured member of the faculty of the University of Oregon's English Department where he taught and mentored students and fellow colleagues. He served as a Track and Field official and was a staunch Duck fan. His heavy and impactful involvement in the issues affecting the local African American community led to numerous positive changes in the condition of local race relations. He was an instrumental force in the NAACP, the Lane County Democratic Party, the naming of MLK, Jr. Blvd. and the dedication of Rosa Parks Plaza in downtown Eugene. Dr. Coleman's imprint on the thousands of lives he touched in Eugene is immeasurable. This honor reflects one of the places in Eugene he loved most: the Westmoreland Park and Community Center where he raised his family and spent countless hours volunteering his time and resources to the betterment of all Eugene.

Photo credit: Oscar Palmquist