CIVIL RIGHTS MEMORIAL – Los Angeles

Lace Up for Inspiration: A Walk A Mile in My Shoes Adventure in LA. Imagine stepping onto a vibrant Los Angeles boulevard and feeling history come alive beneath your feet. That’s the magic of Kim Abeles’ “Walk a Mile in My Shoes,” a public art masterpiece that transforms Obama Boulevard into a captivating odyssey through social justice. Forget static museums – this is art you walk into, where each step unfolds a powerful story waiting to ignite your soul.

Step Back in Time, Walk with Legends

Close your eyes at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr Blvd + Obama Blvd and feel the weight of history beneath your soles. Stand on a 7-foot bronze replica of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s shoes, gazing at iconic photographs that transport you to the heart of the Civil Rights movement. Witness the Selma march, Dr. King’s visit to the Gandhi shrine, and powerful documents that whisper tales of struggle and triumph.

Meet Your Local Heroes, Walk with Hope

As you move forward, the past gives way to the present. At the intersection of Obama Blvd + Jefferson Blvd where the second site is located, photographic tiles introduce you to local heroes, and everyday champions who dedicate their lives to building a better tomorrow. From tree-planting activists to community artists, their stories remind you that change starts with each of us.

More Than Viewing, It’s Feeling

“Walk a Mile in My Shoes” isn’t just about looking at art; it’s about feeling it.

• Bronze Footprints, Living Stories: Each site features bronze plaques with detailed biographies of the 60 individuals represented. Learn about their teenage years, and the seeds of change sown early on, and feel their journeys resonate with your own.
• Poetry in Motion, Voices in Harmony: Let the words of Beverly Lafontaine’s evocative poem guide you. Inscribed on benches designed for dialogue, her verses spark conversations that bridge divides and weave a tapestry of understanding.

A Beacon of Change, A Call to Action

“Walk a Mile in My Shoes” isn’t just art; it’s a movement.

• Community Impact, Ripples of Hope: Inspired by the stories, a visitor generously donated to the non-profit organizations championed in the artwork, proving that art can be a catalyst for real-world change.
• Walk With Us, Walk for Change: Benches are designed for sharing, not just sitting. Discuss your reflections, listen to others, and let the collective power of your voices fuel the movement for a just society.

This isn’t just a walk; it’s a journey. A journey that will leave you with a renewed sense of purpose, a deeper understanding of your place in the world, and the unwavering conviction that every step, however small, leads us closer to a world where everyone can walk their path, free from prejudice and injustice.

So, lace up your shoes and join the adventure. “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” awaits, ready to captivate your heart and ignite your soul. Take the first step today and discover the power within you to make a difference, one story, one step at a time.

About the Artist

Kim Abeles is an artist whose artworks explore biography, geography, feminism, and the environment. Her work speaks to society, science literacy, and civic engagement, creating projects with the California Science Center, health clinics and mental health departments, and the National Park Service. Her collaborations with air pollution control agencies involve images from the smog, and large-scale projects with natural history museums in California, Colorado, and Florida incorporate specimens ranging from lichen to nudibranchs.

In 1987, she innovated a method to create images from the smog in the air, and Smog Collectors brought her work to national and international attention. National Endowment for the Arts funded two recent projects: as artist-in-residence at the Institute of Forest Genetics she focused on Resilience; and, Valises for Camp Ground: Arts, Corrections, and Fire Management in the Santa Monica Mountains were made in collaboration with Camp 13, a group of female prison inmates stationed in the Santa Monica Mountains who fight wildfires. She has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust Fund for the Visual Arts, California Community Foundation and Pollack-Krasner Foundation.

Her work is in forty public collections including MOCA, LACMA, Berkeley Art Museum, Brooklyn Museum, California African American Museum, and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. Abeles’ process documents are archived at the Center for Art + Environment, Nevada Museum of Art.

For additional information, visit the website @

kimabeles.com/walk-a-mile-in-my-shoes

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