Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1525586
August/September 2024 | maconmagazine.com 61 W hen you picture care work, what comes to mind? More importantly, who comes to mind? That is the question that the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) aimed to address in Downtown Macon, asking Central Georgians to "put respect on their names" when thinking about the invaluable contributions of care workers. Los Angeles-based artist Mer Young envisions her husband's grandmother. She's 98 years old and being cared for by an LVN (licensed vocational nurse). Young had her in mind as the NWDA commissioned her to create a bespoke mural on Poplar Street, which was unveiled to the community in June along with a day of celebration for local care workers, encouraging more Central Georgian care workers to join the Georgia chapter of NDWA, and canvassing to encourage voter registration and turnout. Young said that she felt like professional care workers, a term which can run the gamut with professions like nannies, home cleaners, or home health aides, were not often represented in public spaces. "I would love to help in any way I can to elevate their voices," she explained. As a bus pulled up to the unveiling and care workers began streaming out, they embraced, took selfies, and smiled at the message, which proclaims in bold letters: CARE WORK BUILDS COMMUNITY. Sharon Brawley, who has been doing elder care work for over 20 years in Macon, looked up at the mural, squinting in the hot sun. "Look at me," she A new downtown mural points to what it means to support care workers, a vital aspect of our communities and family life. BY JULIA MORRISON | PHOTOS BY DSTO MOORE P A I N T I N G A P I C T U R E O F C A R E D I O N N E D A V I S (left) is an Atlanta-based childcare worker who focuses on infant care and a fierce advocate for care workers as a member of We Dream in Black Georgia Chapter. "We are advocating for our care workers. ... We want the same thing as any other job gets – sick leave, insurance, vacation pay, and a living wage – because we are determined."