MCTS Unveils Juneteenth Bus

The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) has a newly decorated bus — adorned with two murals in honor of Juneteenth Day.

The bus will make its first public appearance in the Juneteenth Parade on Wednesday, traveling along N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The bus is wrapped with two murals — one on either side — created by two local artists Adjua Nsoroma and Alex Solis.

It is the first time an MCTS bus has been decorated in honor of Juneteenth — also called Freedom Day — the holiday celebrating the day in 1865 when soldiers of the Union Army freed the last people held in slavery in the United States.

At the unveiling Tuesday, County Executive David Crowley took the opportunity to discuss the importance of Juneteenth and his administration’s mission to advance racial equity in Milwaukee County.

“This is a time to not only honor the incredible journey as it relates to freedom and justice, but it’s also a time when we have to recognize the struggles and resilience, the strength and the triumphs, of African Americans,” Crowley said, and “their history throughout our entire nation.”

The artists who created the murals that now adorn the MCTS bus were selected by True Skool, a nonprofit that uses art and Hip Hop to empower youth. They are the winners of the True Skool mural contest held during Juneteenth during the previous two years, said Fidel Verdin, True Skool co-executive director.

“We could not be more proud of all of our True Skool family, our True Skool community, because this represents not only these two artists, but our entire network of young creatives, entrepreneurs and changemakers,” Verdin said.

Crowley called the bus a “powerful symbol” and said, “Literally – literally – this is a moving tribute to the resilience and the creativity that defines Milwaukee County.”

Sup. Sequanna Taylor joined Crowley at the unveiling and noted that the Juneteenth bus, “reflects the community that it’s in, the faces of those individuals that are in the community.” The supervisor also echoed a sentiment shared by Crowley, noting that the celebration of Juneteenth and all it stands for also serves as a reminder that more work remains to achieve racial equity and justice.

“Public transportation plays a vital role in promoting equity, by providing affordable, accessible and reliable transportation options for everyone,” said Kevina Vann, diversity equity and inclusion manager for MCTS. “So regardless of your class, socioeconomic background or the color of your skin, the bus is for all of us.”

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