By Haley Tenore 

The story of Bruce Oliver Tucker immediately struck a chord with three students at Virginia Commonwealth University tasked with helping to honor his memory. Tucker, an African American man who grew up in nearby Dinwiddie County, died on May 25, 1968. Without the consent or knowledge of Tucker’s family, surgeons at the Medical College of Virginia removed his heart and kidneys and placed his heart into a white man – Virginia’s first, and the world’s 16th human cardiac transplant.  

“The health care industry must recognize Bruce Oliver Tucker’s story because his case forever changed the transplantation process, yet he never had a say in it,” said Yara Jaff, an interior design student in the VCU School of the Arts. “Human life is not a commodity. Every person has loved ones who cherish them, and when a life is taken without consent, it affects so many more than just the individual. His story is a reminder of the responsibility that comes with medical progress and the importance of ethical decision-making.”

Jaff was selected with fellow interior design majors Zoe Jeweler and Haley Saylor to be part of a team working to create a mural on the third-floor foyer wall at the McGlothlin Medical Education Center that would memorialize Tucker and serve as a poignant reminder of his story. The students worked on the project as part of a course in the mOb studio, an interdisciplinary lab for students that emphasizes community-focused projects. Emily Smith, an assistant professor in the Department of Interior Design, supervised the students.

“Our goal in the mOb studio is to help students work on projects that engage them with the community and use their design skills, their creative skills, to solve issues that community members are facing,” Smith said.

Smith provided students in her mOb course with options for different projects related to real-world issues impacting the Richmond community. Before collaborating on the mural, Jaff, Jeweler and Saylor were not aware of Tucker’s story. Saylor said the story resonated with her and her fellow students – “the story of a person who was wronged, a family, a community who was wronged.”

“I wanted to further educate myself on things happening in my community,” Saylor said. “I'm so glad I chose this project because I gained perspective of what was going on around me and in the institution I am in. It was also so rewarding to have that background knowledge that we have now.”

Because of the significance of Tucker’s story, the students knew it was important to get his mural right. They worked with Richmond muralist Hamilton Glass and regularly got feedback from Gayle Turner, one of Tucker’s descendants.

“We decided that it's his story, and we should tell it and be truthful – we should be upfront about what happened,” Saylor said. “His heart was stolen, and we didn't want to sugarcoat anything.”

The collaboration was a complex but rewarding process. Jeweler recalls some “bumps in the road” while figuring out what each person involved wanted the mural to convey. The negotiations, however, were always aimed at creating the best possible work.

“We were very honored to be given the chance to honor Bruce Tucker's legacy with this project,” Jeweler said.

The Bruce Oliver Tucker mural is located on the third-floor foyer wall at the McGlothlin Medical Education Center. (Kevin Morley, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

“Working with Haley Saylor and Zoe Jeweler was an incredible experience,” Jaff said. “We were already familiar with each other from our interior design courses, and I had always admired their work and dedication. Finding out we were grouped was exciting because I knew we would push each other to do our best.”

The collaboration also allowed the students to gain experience that will prepare them for their future working conditions.

“Being an interior design major, you will inevitably collaborate, and so we decided on what we wanted and felt it was important to show,” Saylor said.

Glass took renderings created by the students and brought their vision to life in a vibrant tribute to highlight Tucker’s image, his story, and the ongoing pursuit of justice in his name. For the students, Saylor said, “The main thing that was important to show was emotion with the colors that you see in the mural.” The colors serve to represent the different feelings Tucker’s family experienced in the injustice behind his death. Red represents anger, blue represents sadness, and yellow represents hope. In addition, the mural’s location in the McGlothlin Medical Education Center was critical.

“I hope that this place is a place where people can think and understand that the things that they study are real things, real emotions, and those people have families like Mr. Tucker,” Saylor said. “I hope that people remember that.”

The mural was unveiled in a March 5 ceremony for members of the Tucker family and the VCU Health community. In addition to the mural, VCU Health renamed the McGlothlin Medical Education Center auditorium in honor of Tucker. The mural and auditorium dedication are part of a comprehensive initiative by VCU Health to honor Tucker. Additional projects include a historical marker from the state’s Highway Marker Program in Tucker’s hometown of Dinwiddie County, the installation of commemorative plaques that acknowledge his legacy throughout VCU Medical Center, the creation of a healing garden, the establishment of scholarships in his name, and several initiatives related to educating future medical professionals. 

Jaff, Jeweler and Saylor felt honored to be a part of the overall effort.

“This experience has been unforgettable, and we all hope this mural catalyzes conversation and change,” Jaff said. “Stories like Mr. Tucker’s should not be forgotten, and our hope is that this piece encourages people, especially those in the health care field, to reflect on the past, acknowledge its impact and strive to do better moving forward.”

A version of this story was originally published by VCU News

Learn about more events honoring Bruce Oliver Tucker's impact on heart transplantation