This mural refers to two historical events important to the King Park neighborhood: one which took place on April 4, 1968 and the other in April 1983.
On April 4, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy, then a presidential candidate, was set to speak at a small neighborhood park on Indianapolis’ near-northeastside. His original speech was set aside as news of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King swept the nation: he was the first to break the news to Indianapolis and delivered a passionate, impromptu speech about King’s fight for justice. He spoke about the importance of nonviolence and encouraged everyone to follow King’s example and share in the struggle for equality. King’s assassination led to riots all across the country, but Indianapolis remained calm, which many attribute to Kennedy’s inspiring words. Unfortunately, Kennedy would also be assassinated on June 6 of that year—just two months after King’s death. The park was renamed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, and in 1995 the Landmark for Peace sculpture honoring both King and Kennedy was installed in the park.
In April 1983, an unlikely group of 6th-graders from the nearby IPS School 27 entered the National Elementary School Chess Tournament and astonished the country with their skill. The group had only been playing chess for three years and had christened themselves the “Masters of Disaster” because they initially were so awful at the game. The team’s three squads won first, second, and fourth place. Three of the eleven elementary school students on the team became top-50 ranked players in the under 13 age division in 1983. Indianapolis Mayor , Indiana Governor Robert Orr, and even President Ronald Reagan showed enthusiasm for what the inner-city youth accomplished. Many Indianapolis-based businesses financially supported a trip to Japan for the team to compete there—where they won. In 1985, Sonya Friedman and Pat Wetmore Kellar produced a short 32-minute documentary film titled The Masters of Disaster as part of the Indiana University Audio-Visual Center’s (AVC) film distribution service. It was nominated for an Academy Award for best short-documentary film in 1986. The team was never able to match that extraordinary 1983 success and sadly, when the young men finished junior high school, the team disbanded.
The mural, which shows not only portraits of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy but of the entire winning chess team, reminds kids and adults alike that through perseverance and practice, we can achieve great things.
The mural was dedicated in July 2025 by the Friends of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park with generous support from Indy Parks and Recreation, the Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center, individual neighborhood donors, and a Public Art for All grant from the Indy Arts Council, with funding from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation.
The mural artist, Boxx the Artist, is an Indianapolis-based, interdisciplinary visual artist originally from Gary, IN, whose practice spans traditional acrylics, digital art, photography, public art, and film. Her work synthesizes expressionistic portraiture that examines the African Diaspora, providing cultural images that honor marginalized communities and celebrates her profound love for Blackness.
