ELIZABETH CITY, NC – The walls of Elizabeth City State University's (ECSU) G.R. Little Library now tell a story as colorful as its legacy. During homecoming week, ECSU unveiled a mural celebrating visionary leaders who have shaped the library and the community.
Nia Kearney, university library technician and program coordinator for the mural's creation, partnered with students—Kaleigh Booker, Kordell Edmondson, Aakilah Green, Daija Hassell, Lauren Jackson, Maleah Lassiter, Naijya Leggett, Devin McKinsey, Isabella Rodriguez, Serenity Shipp, Kristyana White, Freeman Williams—as they worked for over a year in the library's production lab to bring this piece to life.
Kearney decided to focus on celebrating the history of notable ECSU leaders and impactful people across North Carolina. "I wanted students to be informed of the rich legacy of the institution and inspire them to know they can also have an impact on their community," she added.
Blending art with history, ECSU set aside a moment during homecoming to honor figures whose contributions live on at the heart of the university. One of the figures showcased on the mural attended the event to support the homecoming festivities. However, her feature was to her surprise.
Juanita Midgette Spence, a library icon who retired in Feb. 2024, said, "It is quite an honor to be remembered in a permanent fashion. It was a pleasant surprise to share a mural with those who have walked the campus of ECSU since its inception. It is a testament to what we have done as a team."
Spence, the only living legend from the mural, worked in the G. R. Little Library for 34 years, modernized the library through grants, led the library team in a $4.5 million renovation and steered successful accreditations.
Also featured on the mural are Alex Haley, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and retired Coast Guard service member; Robert F. Williams, civil rights activist and advocate for armed self-defense; Claude Greene, who transformed the library's services during his 25-year tenure; Hugh Cale, the legislator who helped found ECSU; and Peter Weddick Moore, the school's first principal and advocate for Black education in North Carolina.
Latif A. Tarik, assistant professor of history, spoke for the unveiling and shared his passion. "About two years ago, we started several initiatives to bring more art to ECSU. These are some of the things the students said they wanted," said Tarik.
Tarik stressed the fact that art and history belong to everyone. "We want everyone across the campus to understand that everyone has a place in art."
Last year, ECSU revealed a portrait of Ruby Bridges, and there have been several art and music festivals. The mural is the latest installment in a multi-faceted initiative at ECSU to integrate art across disciplines. The production lab now has a new visual centerpiece with Kearney and the students' mural complete.
The new mural in G.R. Little Library's production lab is about pride and ownership of space to be a hub of creativity. "We want more professors to develop projects where students would have to come in and use the production lab," Tarik said.
As students and alumni admired the mural's images, ECSU's commitment to art was clear. Each brushstroke celebrated leaders who shaped ECSU and worked to help sustain the library.