73 Cents

73 cents. That's the title of a colorful mural on a brick wall between a gas station and a CVS drugstore. That's also the amount of money the artist was required to pay for each page of her dying husband's medical records. Seventy-three cents per page and it would take over twenty days to get his records. It's a very sad and frustrating story. And also an inspiring one. Regina Holliday started painting this mural just days after her young husband died in 2009. She didn't stop there. She has also gone on to use her voice and her paintbrush to advocate for patients rights. Regina Holliday is a paintbrush warrior.

I didn't know any of this when I stumbled upon the mural earlier last week. It was dark and I couldn't read any of the quotes (Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Shakespeare, J.K. Rowling, and even Buffy the Vampire Slayer), but I could tell there was a lot of power and emotion up there on that brick wall. I returned two days later to photograph it. 

73 Cents

5001 Connecticut Avenue
Washington, DC