Six Black individuals, from artists to community leaders, are being honored by the Rose Kennedy Greenway to celebrate Black History Month.

Along with late social justice advocate Mel King and Zipporah Potter Atkins, the first woman to ever own land in Boston, four artists are being honored.

Three of these artists, Rob Gibbs, Ja’Hari Ortega and Mithsuca Berry have created pieces of art in collaboration with the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservatory's public arts program to be displayed in the park.

Ortega’s sculpture “Big Hoops to Fill” is currently on display in the park. Gibbs and Berry had pieces curated in 2022 that are no longer on display.

“Big Hoops to Fill” features two large swings made to resemble bamboo hoop earrings, which are an “iconic form of jewelry worn by many women of color,” according to a Greenway newsletter.

Ortega first came into contact with the Greenway’s public arts program at a celebration of a mural painted by Gibbs, titled “Breathe Life Together” on the Greenway in 2022.

Berry’s 2022 piece, “Where The Land And Our Bodies Intersect” was meant to help Black and Brown individuals see themselves reflected in the park’s design and feel a sense of welcome.

The final artist being honored, Michael Gibson, is known for making art out of living plants, will be collaborating with the Greenway this spring.

Adam Torres, the public art project manager for the Greenway, said over 70 sculptures and murals have been featured in the park since 2015.

All pieces are contemporary and are on display from three months to two years. Both established national artists and local emerging artists are chosen.

Torres worked closely with Ortega as she turned Big Hoops to Fill from an idea into reality.

“Witnessing Ja’hari’s intention of cultivating that type of space, seeing it installed and celebrated at an opening ceremony was amazing,” said Torres.

Commissioning artwork that reflects diverse communities around Boston is a value the public arts department focuses on, said Torres.

“We have an on the ground in-person presence,” said Torres. “Attending arts events throughout the city is one of the main ways we are exposed to a diverse range of artists.”

A memorial for Potter Atkins can be found on the Greenway.

“Her ownership represents an early claim to belonging, a reminder that Black history in Boston begins not at the margins, but at its foundations,” read a Greenway release.

King finished as the runner up in the city’s mayoral election in 1983. He is remembered, among many things, for his urban planning efforts in Boston.