The City of Inglewood recently culminated seven years of dedication and effort on the part of a long list of public agencies and concerned Inglewood residents with the unveiling of The History of Transportation Mural, now on permanent display at the corner of Manchester Boulevard and Grevillea Avenue, across from Inglewood High School and the Inglewood City Hall.

Commemorating Inglewood as a gateway to industrial and commercial centers in the nation, with its proximity to the Los Angeles International Airport and four major freeways, the History of Transportation Mural underwent a major restoration and relocation that began years ago following the weathered deterioration of its 60-panel mosaic at its former location in Centinela, now Ed Vincent Park.

The long-awaited dedication ceremony was attended by about 200 locals including the Inglewood mayor and City Council members, California State Assemblymember Curren Price and Pam O’Conner, representing the Metropolitan Transit Authority.

Television and film actress Delilah Cotto brought a celebrity touch-of-class and a spark of energy to the mural’s unveiling in place of previously reported television star Yolanda Watts. Cotto noted that the mural and the dedication bring history and culture to Inglewood’s Civic Center.

Before the actual unveiling and dedication ceremony, a sacred ground blessing of the mural site was performed by Native Americans, special guests and elected officials addressed the crowd and entertainment was provided by members of the Grupo Folklorico Macias Dance Group with music by Delian Music and other local musicians.

At the same time, volunteers from the Historical Society of Centinela Valley, one of the organizations that supported the mural’s restoration, demonstrated pioneer crafts, and presented costumed young actors who portrayed individuals from the 1930s. A classic car exhibition, also present, added another entertainment element to the Saturday afternoon ceremony.

Sabrina Barnes, City of Inglewood acting director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, while acknowledging that over one million dollars was raised to complete this project, said, “The City of Inglewood is grateful for the enormous support we received from community’s concerned citizens as well as the public agencies, organizations and volunteers who made this day possible.”

The Historic State Preservation Committee, the Historical Society of Centinela Valley, the Inglewood Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, the Inglewood Public Works Department, and the Getty Foundation received special commendations for the resources they provided in restoring the mural.

Barnes also noted that the mural has been restored in a manner that will deter and discourage vandals. “We hope that the children and young adults in our community will take pride in this mural as they have done throughout the City of Inglewood,” she said. “Video surveillance systems have been installed to monitor the site and special graffiti-resistant material has been applied to protect the individual panels from vandalism.”

Expenses to maintain the History of Transportation Mural will be paid by the City of Inglewood who will continue to solicit charitable donations. Interested donors may contact Skip Halloren at the Inglewood Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services.

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