In North Philadelphia, a new mural has brought color and meaning to a well-loved corner of the neighborhood.
Local artist and Temple graduate Brandy Fortune painted the mural at 2500 N. Bouvier Street to honor her late grandmother, Emma Fortune. Brandy says that the mural pays homage to the ways that her grandmother helped raise many of the kids who are now adults in the neighborhood by offering them meals, conversation, and a place to stay.
Those memories inspired Fortune’s mural, which she says stands as, “a symbol of community pride and connection” and a tribute to the woman who taught generations what it meant to care for one another.
The mural covers the wall of Emma Fortune’s old home on the side of one of North Roots Community Gardens.
North Roots is a community organization that has transformed several unused and abandoned plots of land in North Philadelphia into community gardens. The organization was founded in 2020 by Garrison Hines, along with Brandy and her brother, William Fortune. The three first met in elementary school at Gesu School and have worked together ever since to turn vacant lots into thriving community spaces. According to Hines, North Roots was built to reclaim and restore unused land while helping residents reconnect with one another.
This summer, Brandy and Garrison launched the Soil and Soul Initiative, funded by the Economy League Fair City Challenge, to help close the wealth gap and highlight the value of Black neighborhoods. The project transformed a long-vacant lot into a garden and gathering space, where neighbors share stories, plant new crops, and reconnect with the land.
“It became a place for people to gather, reflect, and celebrate their roots,” Hines said. As part of the initiative, Brandy completed the first mural, and a second piece celebrating the community is planned for installation by next Christmas.
North Roots now maintains three major garden sites across North Philadelphia. The group regularly organizes seasonal cleanups, harvest days, and educational workshops, focused on sustainable living, organic gardening, nutrition, and cooking with fresh produce.
Philadelphia Neighborhoods spoke to the three founders about the significance of the new mural, the meaning of community, and their plans for the future.
PN: Brandy, what inspired you to paint the mural here?
Brandy: This is my grandmother, Emma Fortune, and this is her house. I grew up in this neighborhood, which is why I chose to do the mural here. Vacant lots used to turn into playgrounds for us when we were growing up. This mural is my way of beautifying a space that means a lot to me. My grandmother was a really special person in this community — everyone knew her and loved her. This mural is a way to honor her and keep her memory alive in the neighborhood.
PN: Why did you choose your grandmother as the subject?
Brandy: I chose to honor my grandmother not only because she was a pillar of our community, but also as a way to navigate my own grief. Losing her and my mother just a month apart completely changed my life. For a while, I stepped back and struggled with depression, but creating passion projects like this. Using my art as a way to process pain has helped pull me out of that dark space. Art truly saved my life.
PN: What’s next for you and North Roots artistically?
Brandy: We also plan to install another mural on the block down the street soon. So yeah, that’s really the inspiration behind it — my childhood, my grandmother’s house, and the love she had for this community.
PN: How does the work at North Roots connect to food insecurity in your community?
Garrison: My community has faced different forms of injustice for generations — food injustice, environmental injustice, the wealth gap, and the school-to-prison pipeline. So at some point, we have to respond to that. Many people are stuck in cycles they didn’t create because that’s all they’ve ever known. But if someone shows them something different, they can make different choices. The gardens are one way of doing that — showing people they can grow their own food, eat fresh, and learn how to care for the land.
PN: What does community mean to you?
Garrison: It’s all of it. My community has faced different forms of injustice for generations — food injustice, environmental injustice, the wealth gap, and the school-to-prison pipeline. So at some point, we have to respond to that. Many people are stuck in cycles they didn’t create because that’s all they’ve ever known. But if someone shows them something different, they can make different choices.
PN: You’ve mentioned challenges with gentrification. What’s that been like?
Garrison: Yes, absolutely. At our first site on 20th and Norris, developers started building houses right after we began working there. The lot had been empty for 20 to 30 years, and once we started planting trees and bringing life to the space, a developer came in and built a house. It looks like another one is going up soon. It feels like we’re losing that space to gentrification in real time. The only thing protecting us is that people are actively using it — walking their dogs, letting their kids play there. Hopefully, that activity helps preserve it.
PN: What keeps you motivated to keep going?
Garrison: There’s definitely more participation now. People come out to help, offer support, or just stop by to tell us how much the work means to them. That kind of feedback really keeps us going. A lot of kids get curious and want to help out too — they watch, learn, and join in. I never thought much about it before because this is my community, but seeing people get involved and hearing how it impacts them really motivates me.
PN: William, what does North Roots mean to you?
William: Oh, man, it means a lot to me. This is where I’m from. I would love to see it looking better than it is right now. They’re taking the time, getting out here and doing it. I participate — I help them and all that. It’s beautifying the neighborhood. I love stuff like that.
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