Anón

The Hayti District, now part of Durham, North Carolina, was once a thriving center of African-American entrepreneurship and community life. Often called “Black Wall Street,” it was home to hundreds of Black-owned businesses and, at one time, one of the highest concentrations of African-American millionaires per capita in the United States.

In the mid-20th century, urban renewal and the construction of NC Highway 147 devastated that community. More than 200 acres were impacted, displacing around 4,000 families and destroying over 500 businesses. The freeway physically split the neighborhood, leaving devastating effects that are still very much felt today.

As we read and watched documentaries about Hayti, we began to understand the story as something buried in plain sight, as something hidden, forgotten, but waiting to be discovered again.

That became the basis for The Discovery.

Located just a few blocks from Hayti, the mural sits beside a garage entrance —the “under the bed” part of the building, a gateway of sorts. In it, a young Black girl holds a teddy bear in one hand and a flashlight in the other as she shines light into the unknown beneath her bed. Her expression suggests the moment of realizing something she did not know before.

The mural connects that childhood act of discovery with the uncovering of history itself. Her innocence is where the past meets the future. And once something is seen, it cannot be unseen.

To discover what has happened in our past is to become more aware in the present and better equipped to shape a better future, together. When we bring these stories into the light, they become part of how we build what comes next.

“Inside My Cup”, 35’ x 25’ mural at Miami WorldCenter Starbucks. We loved working on this piece, living in Midtown Miami for a month, and doing as the Miamians do. We’re very grateful for the opportunity to partner up with to bring art to the people of the world, and work with the very talented, creative people breathing life into this location. is a beautiful meeting spot in the heart of the downtown. 🙏🏽

“Inside My Cup” places the viewer within the environment where coffee is grown, revealing the many elements that make its existence possible. Hands are nestled at the heart of the landscape, symbolizing the living cooperation among all things and beings—human and non-human—that bring forth what ends up inside the cup. With this piece, we aim to honor the complexity behind something as seemingly simple as a daily ritual.