Miami’s newest public art piece: an 800-pound afro pick

A large public artwork with a powerful message has been installed at Miami’s Town Center Apartments, an affordable housing development built for the elderly in Opa-locka.

Hank Willis Thomas’ “All Power to All People” is an 8-foot-tall afro pick with a balled fist cast in aluminum and finished with a high gloss black coating. It weighs over 800 pounds and was unveiled in partnership with the Opa-locka Community Development Corporation (OLCDC).

The piece was designed to “highlight ideas of community, strength, perseverance, comradeship and resistance to oppression,” per the press release.

“Many of the most significant moments in my career happened in Miami,” Thomas said. “So, it’s fitting. In addition, the city of Opa-locka has a rich history, and I am very glad to be a part of it. The small monument speaks to the history of black Americans. It is a symbolic gesture but a potent one, as the imagery has long been connected to beauty, cultural representation, and self-love.”

Courtesy of OLCDC/Photo by WorldRedEye

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