Charlotte Muralist Teaches Kids History & Social Activism Through Art

- I'm always looking for stories that might make you smile. And we've got a great one today, everybody. This is "What I'm Liking". (upbeat music) (crowd applauding) An elementary school teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina is helping his students embrace what he calls socially conscious art. Basically, he's influencing them to observe the history and current events that impact their lives and interpret them creatively. We have this awesome educator on the line right now watching on Charlotte CW,

let's say hi to Jamil. What's up Jamil? (audience cheering and applauding) - Hello, hello. Thank you for having me on. - Hello. It's lovely to have you. And thank you first and foremost for being an educator. We really love what you do. I think all parents really appreciate it more now than ever having to school our own kids for a couple years there. But explain more about what you mean by socially conscious art and how do you teach it in class? - Well, I believe that socially conscious art is

thought provoking and has a deeper meaning. And I like to teach that way in my classroom. I recently just taught my students about an artist who I love by the name of TJ Reddy who was an artist, a poet and activist who spread awareness through his art about civil rights issues. And so, my fourth grade students got the chance to create self portraits in his style, and I was so proud of them because in the backgrounds of their images, they incorporated things about the war in Ukraine, about animal

rights, about the pandemic and homelessness. And I just really wanted them to know that they could use their art as a way to spread awareness about these issues. - Absolutely. God, that was powerful. Just seeing those images. And also very therapeutic for them, maybe if they have a hard time talking about it, to get it out like that. That's incredibly smart and clever. So, I hear that you're also a working artist as well, right? - I am. I am. I am a local muralist. I have several murals around

the Charlotte area including one on permanent display in Charlotte's Mint Museum. I'm currently working on 190-foot mural in Charlotte's Historic West End which is historically African-American side of town. And I'm chronicling the history of the corridor by putting notable figures in the work such as Dorothy Counts, who was the first student to integrate our schools here in Charlotte. Julius Chambers who was a prominent attorney who helped to desegregate our schools. And Charles Jones who helpe

d to organize sit-ins in the 1960s. So, I like to use my art as a teaching tool. - Wow. - To show my students that they, what I'm teaching in class, I'm actually practicing in real life. And so my students got the chance to come out to help me spray paint flowers into the background of my paintings. So, I was so excited about that. - What an amazing, immersive way to teach kids about art, but also educate them on important historical figures that we might not be talking about. That is so cool. T

hank you so much, Jamil. I'm liking your post right now, right? (audience applauding) - [Jamil] Thank you so much. - And you are so talented. And that's not all. - Thank you. - Our season long partner, Pilot Pen, makers of G2, the go-to pen of "The Kelly Clarkson Show". They wanna honor ultimate overachievers just like you, sir. So, they're gonna be writing you a check for $1,000. How's that sound? (crowd cheering) - Oh wow. (Kelly chuckling) Thank you. Thank you so much. - Absolutely.