By Marie-Elena Schembri

Kevin Hecteman, Sacramento Southern Railroad conductor and California State Railroad Museum marketing and communications manager, traded in his conductor cap for a paintbrush on Sunday, Sept. 15 as one of dozens who helped lay down the first brushstrokes for a community mural commemorating the contribution of railroads — and those who built them — to industry and agriculture at the California State Railroad Museum.

The 29-foot-long mural honors the railroad’s history and diverse workforce, including women and people of color, and will be displayed in a new exhibit at the California State Railroad Museum once complete. Local artists and representatives from the railroad museum and Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum collaborated on the design.

The mural pays tribute to historic contributions by people of color to America’s railroads including Black porters and two historical figures: African-American inventor Elijah McCoy and Olive Dennis, a female pioneer in railroad engineering, while nodding to future innovation in locomotion.

Like Hecteman, muralist Henry Fisk, known as Fisko, also has personal ties to the railroad, as his father worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad for 40 years. Now, Fisk is paying tribute to his legacy while carving out his own piece of history as one of the artists collaborating on this piece.

One of the youngest contributors, 3-year-old Andie, smeared blue paint with her hands while her 8-year-old sister Kiera and friend Lillian painted with brushes nearby. This was Andie’s second time participating in a community mural. Her mom, Randi Stephens, said that her kids “love painting and to see their artwork” on display, and they are looking forward to seeing the completed exhibit later this fall.

Roseville resident Octavia Smith, 28, enjoyed contributing to the mural, which she said is “stamping our communal legacy on the town, but also being recognized for the work that Black culture has put in America.”

Aisha Abdul Rahman, who is an archivist for project’s co-sponsor Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum, is adding interactive “tech” to the exhibit. Her QR codes will link to archival records, photos and audio. Abdul Rahman, founder of Legacy Design Studio, specializes in using technology for “access, engagement and heritage preservation.”

This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics and protocols, the city had no editorial influence over this story and no city official reviewed this story before it was published. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento Observer and Univision 19. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.