A new mural inside the Jeremiah Program’s Brooklyn office is turning heads and hearts in Boerum Hill.
Unveiled on Sept. 18, the vibrant piece of public art celebrates the resilience, strength and hopes of single mothers and their children, anchoring a collaboration between the Jeremiah Program and the Groundswell Community Mural Project.
The 12-foot-long, 10-foot-tall mural was designed and painted by 15 young artists from Groundswell’s Voices Her’d program, led by teaching artist Mimi Ditkoff and assistant teaching artist Mahogany Brown. The team worked hand in hand with mothers in the program, transforming their personal stories into brushstrokes of empowerment.
“This mural celebrates the strength and resilience of single mothers,” said Yvonne M. Brathwaite, executive director at Groundswell. “Through our partnership with the Jeremiah Program, we’ve seen how art can amplify their stories and highlight the power of community, support and empowerment.”
At the center of the mural is Infiniti, a Jeremiah Program mother and recent Spark Tank award recipient, shown embracing her child. The image sets the emotional tone for the piece, which radiates warmth with its earth tones, purples, teals and golds. Surrounding her are scenes inspired by conversations with Brooklyn moms — women who described themselves as “the heart of Brooklyn, carrying the city on their shoulders.”
One section depicts a mother and child planting trees in front of the New York City skyline, with each tree “engraved with a heart and labeled with one of the foundational supports that the Jeremiah Program provides.”
Another scene depicts a classic Brooklyn brownstone, featuring vignettes of diverse, multigenerational community members holding up a banner that reads “Community is Accountability,” a phrase directly lifted from the mothers’ stories. On the stoop, a mother and her children wear graduation gowns, celebrating their collective achievements.
“Investing in one mother creates a ripple effect of generational growth, hope and community strength,” said Tiana Stowers-Pearson, executive director of Jeremiah Program Brooklyn. “This artwork is a powerful reminder that mothers are the backbone of our communities.
Groundswell’s youth artists, many of whom are Brooklyn teens themselves, said the project gave them a chance to engage directly with the women behind the mural’s stories.
“The room is always filled with so much intentionality, thoughtfulness and care,” Ditkoff said. “These young people make me feel truly hopeful for the future.”
Youth artist participant Beatrix Peck agrees. She “loves the opportunity Groundswell provides to represent real people through art,” and finds the experience “fascinating.”
The Jeremiah Program’s mural represents the advocacy they enact every day. The Brooklyn campus, located on Third Avenue, is part of a national nonprofit that supports single mothers experiencing poverty in attending college. The Brooklyn campus opened in 2017.
The mural now serves as a permanent reminder of that mission. Every quilt square, tree root and butterfly wing connects back to a story of resilience in Brooklyn.
“This collaboration has beautifully visualized the heart of our work,” Stowers-Pearson said. “It’s about mothers moving beyond survival and flourishing as leaders in their families and their communities.”
