The Hometown Association of REALTORS® proudly partnered with the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), a city councilman and a local artist to help cover graffiti in DeKalb with a painted mural.

After racial inequality protests erupted in early July, vandals spray painted derogatory messages on a wall adjacent to a busy DeKalb bike and pedestrian path. DeKalb leaders found a local artist who designed a mural to cover the graffiti. Illinois REALTORS® Local Governmental Affairs Director Neeley Erickson huddled with DeKalb leaders and local association representatives to pinpoint the best ways to help with the project.

Erickson then helped Hometown apply for and secure a $1,500 NAR Community Rebuilding Grant to cover the mural’s costs. The mural was completed a couple months after the original damage occurred.

The project embodies the longstanding commitment of REALTORS® fighting racial injustices and championing policies that build safe and inclusive communities, said Erickson.

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(l to r) Illinois REALTORS Local GAD Neeley Erickson recently volunteered to help artists Aaron C. Robertson and Shannon Gallagher paint a unity-themed mural in DeKalb. The mural includes several sections, prominently using the words “love,” “peace” and “unity.”
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In this section of the mural, a hand representing many different skin tones clutches the word “love.”
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Five local artists volunteered their talents to paint the mural, which is nicknamed “Project Underpass” and has its own Facebook page.
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The images of civil rights icons Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., (shown here) and Rosa Parks are also prominent parts of the mural.
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Erickson enjoyed helping with the project so much that she was photographed by a sign for passersby.