To recognize the life and legacy of a local sports icon, Milwaukee Public Schools and the Milwaukee City Conference are honoring Jimmy Banks and his family with the unveiling of a new mural on Monday, June 9, from 10-11 a.m. at Jimmy Banks Memorial Stadium (4300 W. Fairmount Ave).

All community members are invited to join this celebration. Speakers will include members of the Banks family, artist Tia Richardson, and representatives from the Jimmy Banks Academy, Friends of Jimmy Banks Stadium organization, MPS, and the MCC.

The piece, designed by Richardson of Cosmic Butterfly Design, was created to capture Banks’ work on and off the field. To cover a striking 12-by-50-foot area outside the stadium, Richardson relied on Banks’ family, friends and former colleagues to create the captivating mural, incorporating elements of teamwork, perseverance and community service to represent the Milwaukee legend.

The mural has been installed at Jimmy Banks Memorial Stadium, which was renamed in his honor in 2022 and serves MCC student-athletes throughout the year.

A graduate of Custer High School (now Obama School of Career & Technical Education), Banks starred at UW-Milwaukee before making history as the first Wisconsinite and second African American player to represent the U.S. Men’s National Team in a World Cup. After Banks’ time in the limelight on the pitch, he founded the Milwaukee Simbas, a local youth soccer club, where he emphasized youth development and community outreach. He later coached at the Milwaukee School of Engineering from 1999-2019.

“This mural is a testament to my uncle and the impact he had on the game of soccer, as well as the Milwaukee community,” said Christopher Perceptions, Banks’ nephew. “He inspired kids across the country but also had a direct impact on youth here in Milwaukee through his soccer camps, the Simbas Soccer Club, and coaching at MSOE. He was happy to do the work and believed soccer was a sport for anybody and everybody. I know if he saw this mural today, he would be incredibly touched.”

Funding for the mural was made possible by the Friends of Jimmy Banks Stadium, a group formed in 2019 after Banks’ passing from cancer. Since then, the group has raised over $40,000 to support the project, including a $25,500 grant from Bader Philanthropies, a $20,000 grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and $7,600 in individual donations. Among the generous individual supporters were Tim Alioto, Joel Haubrich, Chris Knowlton, and John Scott McCrary, who played a pivotal role in bringing this tribute to life.

Earlier this spring, Milwaukee PBS highlighted Banks’ accomplishments on and off the field in its ‘Black Nouveau’ series.