Bed-Stuy To Recreate Iconic 1958 Photo At BLM Mural

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — An event at the Black Lives Matter mural in Bed-Stuy this week will celebrate the beginning of "another civil rights era" by recreating an iconic 1958 photo.

The Billie Holiday Theatre and a local production group are calling for Black artists to join in recreating the "A Great Day In Harlem" photo of Black jazz musicians for the 62nd anniversary of the gathering, which was captured August 12, 1958 for Esquire magazine.

The new photo will be titled "A Great Day In New York" and aims to connect the original photo's importance to the Civil Rights Movement with the current moment.

"Today, galvanized by demonstrations against anti-black violence and systemic racism, we find ourselves at the beginning of another civil rights era," organizers wrote. "And once again there is the need to document Black artists who are centered at the intersection of the arts and activism."

Artists who want to participate should meet at the Black Lives Matter Mural on Fulton Street, found between Brooklyn and New York avenues.

They should bring a mask, be "camera-ready" and RSVP through this link, organizers with The Billie Holiday Theatre and Walk Tall Girl Productions said. Organizers can provide masks to those who do not have one.

The photo recreation is one of several events that have been held at the Bed-Stuy mural in recent weeks.

A Bed-Stuy Mural Collective plans to hold weekend programming at the Brooklyn mural on Fridays and Saturdays through Labor Day, including "Feel Good Fridays" and "Synergy Saturdays."

Patch has reached out to the organizers to find an exact meeting time and will update this article as more information becomes available.