Spreading the good word

Local artist Rene Perez painted a mural on plywood with a positive message — "Love your neighbor as yourself" — at the old First Baptist Church. According to co-owner of the property, Kurt Waldhauser, Perez was chosen to paint the mural "because of his life story and his spirit. He is the man for this job." The church, which is located on Martin Luther King Dr., was built in 1908 to replace a building that had been burned down by the Ku Klux Klan. The church served as a host for graduation ceremonies for the Black high school before integration and meetings of the local branch of the NAACP. The building was listed as one of 20 properties to compete in the 2018 Vote Your Mainstreet contest sponsored by the National Trust, National Geographic and American Express. It was named one of the winners of the contest because of widespread community support. Waldhauser said the message chosen for Perez's mural is meant to inspire "hope and togetherness during these difficult times." Daily Record photos by Toy Mendez