In collaboration with the youth currently detained at the JuvenileInspired by Kehinde Wiley’s, “Archeology of Silence,” and the stained glass window works of late artist Jean Lacey, “Sacred Ones” was born through arts programming spearheaded by Journey Allen that asked youth detained at the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center (JJIC), “What does it mean to be sacred?” The answer evolved into a mural project that depicts 5 stained glass portraits of black boys wearing the clothes of their choosing and being referenced as sacred figures rather than the “menaces” that they are usually depicted as. The project initially served 12 teens, but numbers dropped causing the project to experience many delays as students who turned 17 (and were being charged as adults) were removed from JJIC to be housed at the New Orleans adult jail facility. This project was made possible by The Platforms Grant,