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If you walk around numerous neighborhoods in D.C., you may notice one of around three dozen murals painted by Latino artists. Now, one of the oldest in the city is at risk of being removed.

鈥淭here’s something about street art,鈥� said Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe, assistant editor 鈥淚 think, especially with these Latino murals, it really was a form of activism. These immigrants were coming from countries that were going through civil war, and this was a way of (making) a protest or response to that war.鈥�

Jauregui-Volpe told 海角社区app that these murals have also preserved Latino culture and its imagery in neighborhoods that were traditionally home to immigrants, such as Adams Morgan, which is home to several of the oldest Latino murals in D.C.

鈥淭here’s been gentrification and I think it’s crucial to have these sort of murals to remind people (of) who was here before,鈥� said Jauregui-Volpe.

Hola Cultura, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to documenting the Latino community in D.C., has organized a showing exactly where each of the current and past Latino murals are located. There’s also detailed information about the artwork and artists that painted them.

One such mural is ,鈥� which translates to, 鈥淎 people without murals is a demoralized people.鈥� It’s located in Mount Pleasant on the side of the Kogibow Bakery on Adams Mill Road.

鈥淭hat’s a really beautiful one that shows a lot of different themes,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here’s one part with men in suits playing Monopoly. It’s a little reference to gentrification.鈥�

Jauregui-Volpe said it is important to document and record these murals because so many of them have been taken down or painted over due to modern redevelopment.

鈥淚n the map, you’ll actually see which of these murals are still here and which have been taken down, or which are at risk of being taken down,鈥� he said.

One mural in danger of being removed is , located on a Pepco substation wall on Old Morgan School Road in Adams Morgan.

It was painted in 1982 by local art teachers and Black and Latino high school students.

鈥淎t the time, there was a little bit of tension between two groups of students. And so two local muralists here 鈥� Ligia Williams and Allen Carter 鈥� worked together to guide the students on a cultural exploration for them. To explore their culture, their heritage, but then also to work together on a piece of art,鈥� said Jauregui-Volpe, who is also the host of Hola Cultura’s podcast,

The mural depicts a serpent from Aztec mythology, alongside Central American flora and fauna and a woman carrying a basket on her head, an image well-remembered by the immigrant students.

For the last several years, Pepco has made plans to renovate the substation in Adams Morgan, which would mean In an emailed statement, the company told 海角社区app it’s part of its Capital Grid project which aims to, “improve reliability and meet future energy demands in the area.”

Both groups are now trying to find a way to somehow preserve the mural after years of negotiating.

“We have been engaged with Hola Cultura to discuss potential options for preserving the existing mural on the substation in a way that honors the mural鈥檚 history and cultural importance. We look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts with the community as we move forward with this critical reliability project,” Pepco said in a statement.

Jauregui-Volpe said they may recreate the mural on removable panels to be placed at the same location or near another business in the city that wants to house the mural.

鈥淥r just painting it again in at another location,鈥� he said.

Next year, Hola Cultura plans to update its map of Latino murals. If you are aware of a mural the organization might have missed, it urges anyone to reach out on its website.

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