The All of Mankind curriculum sampler grew out of Art on Sedgwick’s “Intersections project,” which aimed to bridge diverse communities and foster understanding within the Cabrini-Green neighborhood. The project explored themes of migration, erasure, gentrification, unity, and more through the lenses of art history, oral history, and collaborative artmaking. 

Intersections is a response to an iconic work of public art by the late celebrated muralist William Walker. His much-loved mural, For All Mankind, graced the façade of a neighborhood church near Cabrini Green, but it was later painted over by the building’s owner after the church was sold. That much contested act of erasure became part of the neighborhood’s story and inspired a creative response, an opportunity to reflect, learn, and reconnect through art. 

The Intersections project created a platform for teachers and artists to engage with Walker’s mural and with each other. It helped forge new relationships between classrooms, studios, the public library, and neighborhood festivals by bringing people together to learn about Walker’s work and to spark conversations around the ongoing issues facing the Cabrini Green community. One key outcome of the Intersections project was the development of this curriculum, which provides information about Walker’s historic mural, documents the discussions and school and community workshops that were part of the program, and provides lesson plans for use by classroom teachers and teaching artists.