This mural was sanctioned. The idea for the mural was brought to the city council in June 2020 but wasn’t approved until November 9th, 2020. Originally, the artists wanted the mural to say, “Black Lives Do Matter,” but the council approved “Unite Against Racism” instead. This mural was created by 24 different artists and volunteers. Local high school art teacher Randall Leach was one of the leaders of the project. He says “This is not the end. It’s not the end. This is what we can do now. We need to come to the table and have conversations to discuss what we can do to make this place better for all people.”  

This mural was paved over starting on April 12, 2021. This construction was said to be planned prior to the creation of the mural. A city council member said that this mural is only temporary, much like other murals across the state and country similar to this one. Although this mural may have been temporary, it had a large impact on the community.  

Sources: 

https://www.witn.com/2020/12/19/unite-against-racism-mural-in-greenville-ready-for-viewing/ 

https://www.wnct.com/local-news/greenville/unite-against-racism-mural-in-uptown-greenville/ 

https://greenvillenc.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1694/66 

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article247095722.html 

http://www.piratemedia1.com/theeastcarolinian/article_e6aa9be4-9b92-11eb-82f9-7b392cb2abda.html