Near the 18th Street CTA stop on the pink line, and in the Pilsen area of Chicago, is a mosaic mural by the J-DEF Peace Project.

The J-DEF Peace Project by the parents of Jeff Maldonado who was shot a day after his 19th birthday.  It is a program that works towards ending gun violence among Chicago’s youth.  They have made a safe place for young people to come together to participate in art projects and other programs.

below: A tribute to Ana Mateo, Francisco Mendoza, and Javier Merino.

below: Police officer Brian Strouse is also on the Wall of Honor.

The words under the four portraits say:
“We need to work hard to make the world better
Stop killin’ each other, start comin’ together
But the things you want in life like the cars and the bling
Got you blinded by the fact that its only a dream.”

below: The end of the mural, “make smart choices”.