My main mission in visiting Phoenix was to explore all things Black History related and, to my surprise, there was more than enough to do and see. We spent an entire day downtown and there was plenty of art to explore– it was a really fun part of the trip! If you’re looking for murals that honor Black history and Black voices, these are a few you don’t want to miss. There are tons of art and some can be a bit harder to find, so I’d make a day of it and plan it out depending on if you’d like to walk or drive. Since murals change, some of these may be updated in the next few months but these were all the ones I found as of February 2021.

Murals you do not want to miss: These are a few I’d make sure to see but I honestly tried to see every one listed here.

• Baseball Greats,  Kobe & Nipsey:

  • Lolo’s Chicken & Waffles | 1220 S. Central Ave., Phoenix

• “A New Hope” features George Washington Carver, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass Painted by Estevan Curiel 

  • George Washington Carver Museum | 415 E. Grant St., Phoenix

•  Black History Matters Mural 

  • Talking Stick Arena | 201 E Jefferson St.

• The founders of Hip-Hop Music

  • Outside Breakfast Bitch Restaurant

• Women of Culinary  Arts 

  • Barrio Cafe  | 2814 N. 16th St., #1205, Phoenix

• John Lewis, Barack Obama and Kamala Harris 

  • Parsons Center for Health and Wellness | 1101 N. Central Ave., Phoenix

• Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday and Miles Davis 

  • The Nash | 110 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix

• “By Any Means” features Huey P. Newton, Malcolm X and Stockley Carmichael Painted by Tato Caraveo and @lalocota.

  • Carly’s Bistro | 128 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix (I’d recommend going before the bistro opens or going to grab food so you can really see it)

• Black Women in Music 

  • Across from Found:RE Phoenix on the side of Loc’d Art Hair Lounge & Spa

• Black Lives Matter Mural: Painted by Ashley Macias, Muta Santiago, Nyla Lee, Giovannie “Just” Dixon, Clyde and MDMN

  • 3rd Street (South of Roosevelt St.)

• Marie Daley, Ernest Just and Patricia Bath 

  • Phoenix Union Bioscience High School | 512 E. Pierce St., Phoenix

I found mural-hunting fun, and there is really so much art to see while in the downtown area. If you have the extra time, I would also add these to your list of murals to see:

• Woman Olympians: Serena Williams, Wilma Rudolph and Joyner-Kersee 

  • Pemberton PHX | 1121 N. Second St., Phoenix  (Near Breakfast Bitch)

• John Lewis, Barack Obama and Kamala Harris 

  • Parsons Center for Health and Wellness | 1101 N. Central Ave., Phoenix

• James Baldwin Mural by Antoinette Couley 

  • Roosevelt St. and Central Ave. – Ten-O-One Building (make sure you look up, this one is higher on the building than most)

• Phoenix Mercury’s Skylar Diggins and Brianna Turner Phoenix Sun’s Chris Paul, Monty Williams and Jevon Carter

  •  PHX Arena | First & Jefferson streets

• The Price of Black Lives by Jeremy ‘Bacpac’ Franco

  •  E. Oak and North 15th Streets

• Justice for Dion by Giovannie “Just” Dixon 

  • 7th Street & McDowell Road

While you’re mural hunting in Downtown Phoenix, you might get hungry (I sure did). I’d recommend the below places to eat in the Roosevelt Row area:

• Breakfast Bitch (Black Owned): Amazing breakfast food and great vibes for brunch. As someone who does not eat egg, I was shocked by the options they had. I ended up going there three times throughout the trip and the vegan cakes with a side of turkey bacon or chicken sausage hit every time.

• Trapp Haus (Black Owned): Great BBQ spot right near all of the amazing murals. I went late on Sunday night so they were sold out of the Philly Crack Wings but they did have a lot of seafood and some pulled chicken left. Highly recommend visiting while you’re in the area.

• Taco Chelo: This is a great Mexican restaurant in the center of the Roosevelt Row art district with so much to offer. Chef Suny Santana pays homage to his Mexican roots in an incredible way. The menu has something for everyone and great drinks too.

• The Churchill: A great food hall with tons of options and outdoor seating. I got a bagel from Stoop Kid and loved it!