Milwaukee Volunteers Paint 28 Murals for MLK Day of Service

A 12-year-old girl painted alongside her father and younger sister, their brushes turning a school wall into a colorful declaration: "Everybody belongs here."

Abi Aquino was one of dozens of volunteers who gathered at Humboldt Park School in Milwaukee on January 19, 2026, to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through action. City Year Milwaukee organized the Day of Service, bringing together community members ready to roll up their sleeves.

The volunteers didn't just show up. They transformed the school with 28 new murals inspired by artist Keith Haring's bold, inclusive style.

Jesus Aquino brought both his daughters, 6-year-old Natalie and 12-year-old Abi, to paint murals together. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley joined volunteers Emma Ramirez, Lola Vernon, and Brayden Gales as they drilled benches together for students.

Other volunteers assembled new lockers with Simon Topf and Krista LaFave leading the charge. Kelly Bradley worked with AmeriCorps teaching fellow Muhammed Oyekanmi to paint individual tiles that would come together as a portrait of Dr. King himself.

Shundall Tillman Jr. stepped back to photograph the MLK tile mural he helped create, capturing a moment of community artistry. Josiah Holloway, Jasmine Givens, Khori Evans, and Kanazia Thompson painted their tiles side by side, each contribution essential to the larger picture.

The service extended beyond the school walls. Volunteers made 30 blankets to donate to youth shelters, weaving warmth for kids who need it most.

The Ripple Effect

This kind of service day does more than beautify a building. When students walk past murals declaring their belonging, created by neighbors who gave their Sunday morning, they see proof that their community cares.

City Year AmeriCorps volunteers like Maddie Reyering worked alongside first-time volunteers like Kari Mattek, showing how service connects people across experience levels. Families like the Aquinos demonstrated to their children that honoring Dr. King's legacy means showing up with paint brushes and open hearts.

The students at Humboldt Park School will return to walls that speak welcome, benches built by caring hands, and portraits of a civil rights hero painted one tile at a time by their neighbors.