Free dedication of a new mural by Athena Scott honoring Walter P. Lomax Jr., with a speaking program and community gathering.
Athena Scott's new mural honoring Dr. Walter P. Lomax Jr. gets its official dedication on Saturday, November 14, at 2024 Reed Street in Point Breeze. The dedication runs from 11 AM to 1 PM and is free to attend.
If you're not familiar with the name, Dr. Lomax (1932–2013) was a physician, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who spent decades expanding healthcare access in Philadelphia's underserved, predominantly Black neighborhoods. He was born and raised at 19th and Reed Streets, and he opened a clinic on 18th and Wharton Streets that served the community for 32 years. Beyond the clinic, he founded HealthQuest, a national health magazine for African Americans; Foster America, Inc., which supports youth in the foster care system; and Correctional Healthcare Solutions, Inc., which provides healthcare to prison systems. He also backed WURD, the only Black-owned and operated radio station in Pennsylvania.
This mural replaces a 2000 tribute by David McShane that was lost to construction. It was created with the Point Breeze Business Association and Mitchum-Wilson Funeral Home, and it sits at the site of Lomax's first clinic. There's a nice neighborhood detail here, too: local children helped fill in the bottom of the mural during Saturday morning workshops Scott ran for them.
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The dedication itself will be a community gathering around the wall. The program includes spoken word, live music, and a speaking program featuring the artist and her partners. It's a free event at 2024 Reed Street, running from 11 AM to 1 PM on Saturday, November 14.
