EDUCATION IS NOT A CRIME TO DEDICATE
HARLEM MURAL TO JAZZ LEGEND

Harlem mural to be officially dedicated on the centennial birthday of musical pioneer, Dizzy Gillespie

HARLEM, NY – October 18, 2017 – Global street art and human rights campaign, Education Is Not A Crime, is thrilled to announce the official dedication and celebration of the John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie 100th Anniversary mural in Harlem at 229 W 135th Street, New York, New York on October 22, 2017 from 1:30-3:30 pm. The mural is the project’s 20th and largest in New York City and will be celebrated by locals and visitors alike. Attendees can RSVP at info@notacrime.me.

The official dedication includes food and beverage vendors as well as live jazz music, paying tribute to the mural’s subject on his centennial birthday. Sponsored by Education Is Not A Crime and Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, the event is free to the public and all are encouraged to stop by to reminisce, enjoy and learn more about participating in programs like Education Is Not A Crime.

Dizzy frequently championed the Baha’i principle of the oneness of humanity. His life as an African-American man who overcame marginalization and discrimination through music and faith lends his story to the mission of Education Is Not A Crime.

“By producing this mural of Dizzy Gillespie in Harlem, we pay tribute to an African-American jazz genius, and a humanitarian,” said Maziar Bahari, the Iranian-Canadian journalist who was jailed for 118 days in Iran because of his journalistic efforts and founder of Education Is Not A Crime. “Dizzy is exactly what our world needs. Today, we are surrounded by hatred, xenophobia and racism. Dizzy’s belief in the oneness of humanity, inspired by his faith, shows us the way forward. We need to tell younger generations about the artistry and ideals of an African-American icon.”

The new double mural painted by the artists Brandan “Bmike” Odums and Marthalicia Matarrita stands across the street from a plaque bearing Dizzy’s name and likeness on the Harlem Walk of Fame. Odums rose to prominence in his native New Orleans for a monumental series of socially conscious murals painted on abandoned housing. Matarrita is a Harlem local whose own struggle to access education make her a natural collaborator for the project.

Education Is Not A Crime has produced murals in New York every summer since 2015, to raise awareness of the denial of higher education to the Baha’i religious minority in Iran. Of the 40 murals Education Is Not a Crime has created, 19 are located in Harlem. Nobel Peace Prize laureates Desmond Tutu and Shirin Ebadi, and the actors Mark Ruffalo and Rainn Wilson, have endorsed Education Is Not A Crime and spoken against the persecution of Iranian Baha'is. The mural also comes as Baha’is prepare to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Baha’u’llah, the Faith’s founder, which falls the day after Dizzy’s birthday.

Street Art Anarchy, an organization that curates high-impact public art projects, produced the Dizzy mural and the 19 previous Harlem artworks. The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce donated the walls, at 229 W 135th Street, for this latest project. 

If you would like to be a part of the Education is Not a Crime Campaign or receive hi-resolution imagery of the mural, please email Danyelle@ballantinespr.com.

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