The new Centralia Harlem Globetrotters mural in Laura Leake Park was dedicated Saturday afternoon as part of the Juneteenth celebration. The mural commemorates the achievements of five Centralia-born basketball players: Bobby Joe Mason, Ken “Preacher’ McBride, Fred Pearson, John “Buddy” Scott, and Jackie White, who each developed their talents at Centralia High School before going on to play for the Globetrotters.
Artist Jamie Allen, the head of the project, said the mural took roughly ten days to complete, and was made possible by a number of contributors.
“I had three other incredible artists with me. They put their hearts and souls into this mural. We worked every day that we could. I was up here from 6 a.m. until sundown every chance I could get. A lot of hours went into this, and I’m grateful that we had a team to bring this mural to the community in time for Juneteenth.”
Allen credits Alex Hyer with helping to finalize the mural design and detailing, Emily Haake with choosing specific design elements and helping to prime the walls, and Brandon Smith with painting the portraits of the five players.
Allen also thanked community members and sponsors whose support made the mural possible.
This year’s Juneteenth was celebrated under cloudy skies with occasional light rainfall. Visitors were able to enjoy dance performances by Malaysia’s World and Royal Pink Dolls as well as music by the City Soul Band, kids’ activities, a basketball tournament, bingo, and a variety of food trucks and vendors.
Photos by Austin Williams:
