Betty Medina Lichtenstein talks to the crowd in front of a mural of her located in South Holyoke.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
HOLYOKE — Holyoke honored a community leader with an unveiling event on May 27 to showcase a new public mural honoring Betty Medina Lichtenstein, a beloved and trailblazing community figure and advocate for Holyoke’s most marginalized youth and families for over four decades.
The mural, located at the corner of Clemente and Sargeant streets, was created by renowned artist Kilia Llano and the collaboration of Common Wealth Murals. It celebrates Medina’s decades of dedicated service and her lasting contributions to the Holyoke community.
The mural features Puerto Rican pride, flowers and faces of local youth and families.
The vibrant public artwork was developed through a community engagement process, ensuring that the mural reflects the spirit, input and stories of those who have been touched by Medina’s leadership.
Even though Spring Street was renamed after her in 2019, the city thought Medina’s impact warranted more recognition.
Medina stated, “It’s truly an honor to stand with you today. Thank you to the individuals, whoever you are, who saw something in me and selected me for this honor. I’m deeply moved.”
After several community input and listening sessions, the design was transformed into a giant paint by numbers special mural fabric where close to 100 volunteers, including Medina and her family, helped paint.
The program included remarks from Mayor Joshua Garcia, Planning and Economic Development Director Aaron Vega, Maria Salgado Cartagena, Stephanie Colon, as well as Llano and Medina.
Vega talked about the importance of having a mural in the city and said, “It’s really fitting to be all together in this space with everybody here today to hold this space, to hold this honoring and to recognize the past and the future all at once, and that’s what this mural is about and I think that’s what murals in general are about. Public art brings people together to create spaces to come together to reflect, to conversate and to think about the future and where we’ve come from.”
Medina was the first Puerto Rican woman elected to public office in Massachusetts when she was elected to the School Committee in 1985.
She founded and was the executive director of Enlace de Familias, a nonprofit serving generations of Holyoke families and helped improve the lives of Latinx families in the community.
She also was involved with Nueva Esperanza and was a founding member of the Holyoke Community Charter School. She continues to work with local youth today to express the importance of their future.
Medina said, “My greatest hope is that this generation will rise to continue to fight, never to accept defeat, to carry forward the torch and to protect and uplift the most valuable among us. I am honored and blessed to be able to lead a group of youth by Enlace de Familias.”
The location of the mural is significant to Medina for two reasons.
She explained, “This moment is especially meaningful to me because I raised my sons, who are here with us today, right down the street on South Canal Street.”
Right next to the ceremony is the South Holyoke Homes Phase 2 project which includes 20 units of affordable housing that are set to be completed this year.
Medina said that project was a dream come true for herself and others over the years.
She said, “Together we believed and still believe that housing and public education and public health are not privileged for a few, but a fundamental right for all. As I look around and see the new homes, rising from the ground, I see not just buildings, but the revitalization of a dream. A dream that we had, and we are now able to see it.”
