NY Artist Honors First Responders With A Massive Mural Of Doctor Who Died On The Frontlines Battling COVID-19 In Minority Communities

Located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, New York City, Cuban American artist Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada has painted a gigantic 20,000-square-foot mural as a memorial for COVID-19 victims. The memorial, dedicated to those who have risked their safety and lives to care for others, is a portrait of Doctor Ydelfonzo Decoo, who lost his life on the frontlines in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The memorial is called "Somos La Luz," which translates as "We Are Light" from Spanish. The Spanish title was chosen on purpose to highlight black, Latino, and working class people who form the majority of frontline and essential workers who work during the pandemic. The location of the mural—Corona Park—was not accidental either as it is situated in one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods of New York City.

Wearing a face mask and head covering, Doctor Ydelfonzo Decoo was a Latino physician who fought the pandemic in New York City. Decoo was a part of the SOMOS Community Care network of mainly immigrant Latino and Chinese doctors who treated African American and Hispanic communities. “I was taken by the fact that doctor Ydelfonso Decoo was close to retiring but chose to continue to care for his patients. His decision makes him even more of a hero to me,” the artist said to Bored Panda.

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