Until last fall, Ruth Batson Academy sophomore Pierre Joseph wasn’t all that familiar with the personality and life’s work of the school’s namesake, a pioneering educational rights leader from Boston. Last week at the unveiling of a mural dedicated to Batson on the outside of the grades 7-12 school on Mount Vernon Street, he said he now knows all about her.
Pierre Joseph, a sophomore at the Batson Academy, and his artwork. Seth Daniel photo
“I’m not really into art, but I think this was cool because I spent my time doing it and I enjoy seeing [the mural] up there,” he said during a ceremony on April 14.“I learned that Ruth Batson was a very influential person and a great activist, especially for education.”
Formerly known as the BCLA-McCormack School on Columbia Point, the academy but was officially re-named for Batson in 2024. The school is now in the middle of planning for a large renovation project for a new facility that will draw students from Dorchester, South Boston, and beyond.
Yvonne Vest, assistant head of school. Seth Daniel photo
Head of School Sophia Stephney noted that they are looking at a potential opening of the new complex in 2032. “I think it is definitely the right time for this,” she said. “When we open our new building, we will do this all over again in a new space. This mural is not just for 2026, today, but forever.”
Added Assistant Head of School Yvonne Vest: “This mural is more than a story; it’s a call to action…My hope is this mural serves as both inspiration and challenge.”
Batson teacher David Lewis, of Dorchester, said students have been working to build a school culture and identity that celebrates Ruth Batson’s life and honors her legacy.
Last fall, the school’s Advanced Portfolio Arts class partnered with Artists for Humanity to work on a student-led mural design inspired by Batson’s life and the students’ cultural heritages. After eight site visits to Artists for Humanity, individual students created their own panels that were brought together in a mosaic
“The mural will serve as a centerpiece to transform the student entranceway to create a welcoming space for students to enter the building,” Lewis wrote.
Head of School Sophia Stephney and long-time Dorchester activist Lew Finfer. Seth Daniel photo
Long-time neighborhood activist Lew Finfer attended the ceremony as president of the Boston Desegregation and Busing Initiative. He brought to the gathering information on Batson and her work in Boston schools and in founding the Metco program.
The full mural on the side of the school. Seth Daniel photo
