The corner of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street in Buffalo is the northern entrance into the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor: a nexus of the city’s deeply rooted African American history. It marks the intersection of the honorary Richard Allen and Harriet Tubman Ways, and it is home to Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church (Bethel AME). Organized in 1831, Bethel AME is Buffalo’s oldest black religious institution and served as a critical station on the Underground Railroad. In 2017, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery partnered with the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority to commission the murals that would become collectively known as The Freedom Wall. 

 

The Freedom Wall is a vital part of our Corridor, but it wouldn't be here without the hard work and dedication of countless individuals who made it possible. Below is a list of resources so that you can learn more about the creators, change-makers, and history enthusiasts who made it possible. 

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• The Albright-Knox Art Gallery - The Freedom Wall was Commissioned by the Albright-Knox Art Gallery Public Art Initiative in partnership with the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, 2017.

• The Artists - John Baker, Julia Bottoms, Chuck Tingley, and Edreys Wajed. ​​

• The Freedom Wall: WNED PBS Special Documentary -  A wonderful resource that chronicles the creation of the Albright Knox Public Art Mural at the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street in Buffalo, NY. 

• Virtual Tour - The Freedom Wall continues to inspire those in our community. Watch this beautifully crafted virtual tour by a Buffalo Public School teacher! The virtual tour was created in response to the need for more content during the COVID-19 Pandemic, but we are sure it will continue to be a staple of the Freedom Wall Story.