La Marcha Por La Humanidad

La Marcha Por La Humanidad (also known as the Chicano Mural at UH) is a mural housed at the University Center on the campus of the University of Houston. In 1973 artists Mario Gonzales and Ruben Reyna, both Vietnam veterans, created and painted the mural on behalf of the university's chapter of the Mexican American Youth Organization. The mural depicts the political angst of the Chicano Movement, featuring Uncle Sam with a skull in place of a head, an effect popular in twentieth-century Mexican and Chicano art. It is twelve by sixty five feet.

"The left side of the mural features images of Aztecs, farmers (campesinos) and images of Mexico's history, painted by Reyna, -Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Father Miguel Hidalgo, Benito Juarez, Emiliano Zapata, Pancho Villa and the power of the Catholic Church. On the right side of the mural, Gonzales painted images of historical figures of the 60s and 70s—Cesar Chavez, Alicia Escalante, Reies Lopez Tijerina, and a sea of people demanding change," explains a KUHF article. The article continues with an explanation by Ruben Reyna, one of the artists. "'I painted the left section of the mural and Mario painted the right and we met in the middle, which is the future of the Chicano,' Reyna said. 'We painted the past, the history of Mexico, our beginnings from the days of the Spaniard conquest of the Aztecas. We brought it to the far right (of the mural) and identified some key figures of the Chicano movement.'" In one portion of the mural, lady justice is depicted holding an unbalanced scale,defining the inequality of justice in America. However, the central portion of the mural is perhaps the most iconographic. Gonzalez states that the young man in the middle of the mural has reached the step stones of success, where he is confronted by his conscience, which is "Tlatelolco, Tenochtitlan" and all the history of his ancestors. He is also embraced by his government, which is depicted as the skeletal figure in Uncle Sam garb. The young man is faced with a choice of what to make of his life, his education and accomplishments. Will he think of just himself or help make a change in society. In conclusion, the theme is for all humans regardless of race or color, should attempt to change the world to create a more unified and humane society. An invitation is extended to all the students, who are the force that can make a change in the world. They are encouraged to: "Don’t forget their roots, work for the well being and for the prosperity of not just the Hispanics but of the entire world."

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