First of three murals uplifting Black youth along the trail.
Rounding out National Travel & Tourism Week, community leaders, government officials, and community advocates gathered in South Slope to witness the unveiling of the first mural section of the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail.
This trail, which opened in December 2023, celebrates the dignity, humanity, and agency of Black people from all backgrounds who built resilient communities and fostered social change in Asheville. This event, held on Thursday, May 8, 2025, continued that celebration with a focus on uplifting the future generations of Black Ashevillians.
“Black Girl Magic” is my thank-you card to the Black and Brown women both in my life and in this community, country, and globally who have shown up tirelessly for their families despite feeling unseen and unacknowledged,” said local artist Tommy Lee McGee, whom Explore Asheville commissioned to create the mural. “The little girl inside them rarely receives nurturing, so they ultimately must water their own garden. I created this mural to offer to Black and Brown women, especially, a little water for their internal gardens with gratitude, respect, and honor.”…