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Nashville mural details lives of black teens

In this Dec. 20, 2014 photo, La Darious Barlow, 15, stands next to a mural he worked on with a group of artists in Nashville, Tenn. The mural was completed in December as the first of three to be showcased at Nashville events in the next year. It debuts at a time of national dialogue about justice for young black men. (AP Photo/The Tennessean, John Partipilo) NO SALES
In this Dec. 20, 2014 photo, La Darious Barlow, 15, stands next to a mural he worked on with a group of artists in Nashville, Tenn. The mural was completed in December as the first of three to be showcased at Nashville events in the next year. It debuts at a time of national dialogue about justice for young black men. (AP Photo/The Tennessean, John Partipilo) NO SALES

By Associated Press 4 min read

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – From a distance, the mural looks like a portrait of a young black man – a larger-than-life face, almost 8 feet tall.

But to really understand this kind of art you’d have to step closer, see past the simple picture and take in the little details that make up the whole.

A close examination – that’s what the black teens who created it are asking for, with their art and with their lives.

They know it’s a tough ask. Each who contributed has already had a brush with Nashville’s juvenile justice system. Their mistakes invite a stereotype. Their art defies it.

“It’s made up of materials that reveal more detail as you move in closer. That’s really the approach we take to working with these guys,” said Abby Whisenant, special programs coordinator at the Oasis Center for at-risk youth. “These guys are coming with very complex stories.”