"To you black was the color of priests and undertakers and orphans. But everything is changing. Whatever is gentle and kind and good and tender will be black. Milk will be black, sugar, rice, the sky, doves, hope, will be black. SO will the opera to which we shall go, blacks that we are, in black Rolls Royces to hail blacks kings, to hear brass bands beneath chandeliers of blacks crystal..." - Jean Genet, '58

The plywood mural depicts figures from the play "Les Nègres" ("The Blacks"), a work by playwright Jean Genet that was published in 1958 and performed for the first time in 1959. The play is reliant upon the structure of a production within the production itself, exploring Black identity while exposing racial prejudice and stereotypes by shocking and implicating the audience. ]]>
2020-07-07]]> Image: @Bringing_Back_Bowery on Instagram]]>

]]>
2020-07-07]]>

A portrait of George Floyd is to the right.]]>
@artcrop]]>
]]>
2020-07-07]]>
]]>
1. Beautifully lettered text in black against a yellow ground. Text reads "Everytime you wash your hands it's a chance for a new beginning." by Hewana Sullivan Janzen.
2. Colorful raised fists against a yellow background.
3. Multiple panels across a door with poetic text by Tish Jones.
4. Text by Tish Jones reading "Black like Aspen Roots the connection Runs Deeper than the US Thought."
5. Drawing of George Floyd
Additional details included
]]>
2020-07-07]]>

]]>
2020-07-07]]>

Three panels with poems:

"BLACK Like The Night Sky After Too Much Blood Has Spilled and Systems Are Scorched."

"an excerpt from "Because you keep asking me how it feels to be BLACK here, now." - by Trish Jones."

"BLACK like -Aspen Roots- the connection Runs Deeper than the U.S. Thought. words by Trish Jones."]]>

]]>
2020-07-07]]>

The right half has "you ask me why i fight. i ask you why i would do anything else. - hawona sullivan janzen."

Three George Floyd portrait stencils are around the words.]]>

]]>
2020-07-07]]>

]]>
2020-07-07]]> ]]>

Orange with "Be Kind" in black with empty spaces.

"BLACK LIVES MATTER! in black.

"I FEEL I AM SAD" in green on his panel with a broken heart, a fruit, and a smiling figure.

"AMERICAN'T BREATHE" in green and blue on yellow.

"Injustice Anywhere Is A Threat To Justice Everywhere. BLM. Justice for George Floyd, 46; Breonna Taylor, 26; Ahmaud Arbery, 25; Alijah McClain, 23; Philando Castille, 32" in green and white.

"#BLM" in orange with black dots on a white background. A matching butterfly is in the lower right corner. A pink cloud and a sun in opposing corners.

"Atatiana Jefferson, 28; Botham Jean, 26; Freddie Gray, 25; Michael Brown, 18; Laquon McDonald, 17; Aura Rosser, 40; Tamir Rice, 12; Trayvon Martin, 17; Bettie Jones, 55; Quintonio LeGrier, 19; Oscar Grant, 22; Eric Garner, 43; Terence Crutcher, 40; Stephon Clark, 22; Dominique White, 30; Alton Sterling, 37; John Crawford, 22; Melvin Watkins, 54; Michelle Cusseaux, 50; Janisha Forville, 20; Akai Gurley, 28; Gabriella Nevarez, 22; Tanisha Anderson, 37; Michael Dean, 28; Christopher Whitfield, 31; Chamara Rom Pheap, 33" in red on white.

"I AM BLACK AND PROUD BUT I FEEL SCARED" in black, green, and yellow on red.

"BLACK LIVES MATTER" with multicolored hearts.

"LET'S MAKE A CHANGE. END RACISM" in black on blue.

"BLACK LIVES MATTER" in red with multicolored hearts.

"All lives can't matter until BLACK LIVES DO" in black with a matching heart.

"Justice" in multiple colors with pines and shapes.

"I AM STRONG" in yellow with a house and a smiling heart.

"We'll create a better world because of you, Mr. George." in yellow around a picture of George Floyd.

"When you're done: 1. Sanitize vrushes. 2. Leave brushes in water. 3. Throw wipes away. 4. Find a home for your sign! 5. Get refreshments!"

"#No justice no peace" with a purple heart and purple/orange stripes in the corner.

A red and purple heart with pink stamps. Green background.

"Justice" over a structure made with hearts, over a human figure.

Multicolored sign.

Blue Black Power fist.

"Black Lives Matter!" over a landscape.

"Justice" and a green and blue cow.

"Honk for Justice" with a human figure and a car.

"Black Lives Matter" in multiple colors. A black heart with red paint dripping down from it and across the sign.

"Black Lives Matter" with an orange heart and yellow/purple/blue stripes along the top.

"I AM I FEEL" on yellow and green.

Black slashes on a blue background.

"I AM Black AND PROUD" with red heart in the corners.

"Everyone Matters" with a green and blue peace sign. The Everyone is rubbed/worn away.

"Peace For ALL!" The O is an Earth. Suns line the sign.

]]>

]]>
2020-07-07]]>

]]>
2020-07-07]]>