By Alejandra Stack, KNM Founder

She’s inspired kids in Ireland and Kenya to be STEM stars, calls Ava Duvernay and Oprah Winfrey her aunties after sending almost 10,000 kids to see ‘A Wrinkle In Time’ and got the blessing of history-making astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison to literally go to infinity and beyond as the Black woman in space for our generation.  Now Taylor Richardson has inspired an artist to make a mural of her in her hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.

But before we get into that, let’s talk about the fact that she was the subject of an epic documentary that has been racking up awards all over the place. And the director behind that project is a kid too! We can’t wait to share the full story on that. So anyways. Taylor is now about to be a director herself.  We’ll be talking to her at an upcoming film festival in Atlanta and we can’t wait!

So about this mural, Taylor finally got to visit it on May 24, 2019 a few days after it was completed. Here’s what she had to say.

“I finally visited my mural today,” said Taylor. “I found out that prior to the mural it was just a blank wall that kids passed and on the other side was a juvenile detention center they would pass! So everyday kids would walk back and forth and only see those two things. I’m truly honored that the owners of Knopf Binders would even consider me. A bullied, ADHD, retained Black girl who’s dream most think lofty is to go to Mars one day. But it is also to bring more to the table we call STEM/STEAM. I hope now that the mural is up, it will allow these kids and those in the community to know that your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.‬ That you don’t look outside your window in despair but look up to the sky because you are a shining STAR and your dreams and potential are limitless! #representationmatters #dreambig”