8000 Hands for Unity

I don't see Franco and Gloria a lot considering their utterly busy lives that when I do see them it is always a treat especially Franco. Just this Thanksgiving was one of them. Franco is a crooner and will sing at a heartbeat when asked to. The ultimate Mr. Celebrity if you must! Well-known as one of  the singing sensation in the Latino community.

Over Turkey and stuffing, he proudly narrated his latest project singing the theme song for Edwin Gil's infamous art which by the way is the catalyst for this post. Edwin Gil is a famous painter in Charlotte and awardee of the National Latinos of the Year alongside Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and NASA Astronaut Jose Fernandez this year.

The infamous art in focus is a 70 by 30 foot mural aimed at uniting displaced Colombians all over the world. Hand prints and signatures of 8,000 Colombians across the globe painted the canvasses using the colors of their flag and of which will be assembled in Colombia next year to form a huge flag and displayed in a museum there!

Edwin Gil and Franco Londono

The story behind this is that Edwin himself is a displaced Colombian who moved to North Carolina after he was kidnapped at gun point in Medellin, Colombia and spent the night locked in the trunk. That harrowing experience led him to fled his own country and found exile here where he later became a painter. This is the inspiration behind his huge project. What a way to send the message of unity across!

Being an immigrant myself, I know exactly how it feels to be away from the country & culture you grew up in. Sometimes, there's just no place like "home". To my Latino Friends, I raise my hands for you!