Protest signs and artwork on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, Date: 14 October 2020
Protest signs and posters on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, located on the north side of Lafayette Park in Washington D.C.
There is a pastel yellow building that is opposite the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence and is boarded up. There are painted images that are on the plywood that is covering the windows. These images are all spray painted on the plywood and one is the sunrise (or sunset), one has a woman with a mask with her hands in front of her and looks like she is praying. Another image has the side portrait of a man and there is text that reads “Lve” and “Pinder Story.”
There is a black ripped poster and underneath it is a poster that is pink, purple, and blue, that has a woman in the middle with her fist raised and holding a baby. The woman is in a circle and there is text that reads “Today I am Free • Today I am Strong” There are broken chains on the edge of the poster intertwined with flowers and roots. There is a dove at the top and text that reads “You’re wrong about me I’m a sister and a daughter [;] A mother, aunt, grandmother [;] Not a criminal Not a statistic [;] I have a life I have a dream [;] I am a queen a [illegible]…”
There are multiple posters on a wall that reads “Is My Son Next ??????” “Fuck MPD” (which is spray painted in yellow on a black background) #Black Power” “Black Lives Matter “Algeria for BLM” “Who do you protect? Who do you serve?” “Be an ENEMY to the OPPRESSORS and a HELPER to the OPPRESSED - Imam Ali (as)”
There are different paintings that are on pieces of paper that are on the wall and other ripped posters. One poster reads “We need more Peace Life Love” There is a drawn peace sign in blue, a green tree and a pink heart respectively over the words, “peace” “life” and “love”.
There is a poster that reads “The Palm Collective” and is on a black poster but has been spraypainted the colors of the rainbow with a symbol on it.
There are two portraits in a black and grey color scheme, and it has yellow and green in the background and seem to be representative of traditional African people.
A poster reads “Abolish Prisons” and it has two hands that are breaking cell bars with a red circle with a line through it
Another poster reads “It’s not Right or Left its Life or Death.”
There is a poster that looks like a rendition of Mount Rushmore but has the heads of Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass, Malcom X, Barack Obama, and Nelson Mandela. The poster reads “VOTE” and on the bottom it reads “They Sacrificed.” There is a green handprint on the wall underneath this poster and a paper that has a QR code that leads to a website that lets people register to vote.
There is a poster that reads “No Justice No Peace” and has the black power fist raised that is in the middle of a circle on the poster.
The Black Lives Matter Memorial fence was a temporary chainlink fence installed in the area north of Lafayette Park and the White House from June 2, 2020, until January 30, 2021. The fence prevented public access to the area, and it also served as an important site of protest and self-expression.
Activist Nadine Seiler played a crucial role in protecting and caring for the fence, along with Karen Irwin and other activists in a loosely-formed group informally known as the "Guardians of the Fence." Nadine Seiler and Aliza Leventhal systematically documented the fence over the course of months, and Seiler became the de facto curator of the fence.
Additional information:
Library of Congress blog post "Protest Preserved: Signs from D.C.'s Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence"
D.C. Public Library Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence Artifact Collection”
Urban Art Mapping
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MM
Photographer: Aliza Leventhal
H Street NW and 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C., USA
One Love Street Mural, Greensboro, NC
"One Love" is painted in yellow on the street. Inside of the "O" in "One" there is a black number 1, and inside of the "O" in "Love," there is a black heart.
Khalil Guzman-Jerry
<p><span>This Black Lives Matter Mural was installed on Elm Street between February One Place and Washington Street in Greensboro, North Carolina. The mural was painted during the weekend of June 27</span><span>th</span><span>, 2020, in the wake of nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis one month prior, and three weeks after the first Black Lives Matter street mural was painted in Washington, D.C. It was the second mural approved by the Greensboro Office of Arts and Culture’s Street Mural Program. A ‘One Love’ mural with yellow lettering following the theme of other street murals was painted on the nearby Davie Street the week before. <br /><br />The painting was led by artist Rasheeda Shankle, who has helped create Black Lives Matter murals in other cities—such as Winston-Salem—and project leaders Kelley Creacy-Durham and Jason Keith. Many local Black artists participated in the painting, each decorating one of the seventeen letters with designs, images, and slogans advocating for racial justice. During the painting of the mural, the surrounding roads were closed, and the public was welcomed to observe the artist’s work. Itinease McMiller, a local news reporter at WFMY, described it on Twitter as: “The community has come out to see artists express their feelings about racial injustice through art.”</span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>The city of Greensboro, and the site of the mural in particular, is linked with historical struggles for civil rights. The mural is located across the street from the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, formerly a Woolworth’s that was the site of sit-in protests against racial segregation beginning on February 1</span><span>st</span><span>, 1960, and becoming a landmark of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. While Elm Street is now open to traffic, the mural still exists and can be seen on the street as of January 2023, according to Google Maps.</span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Researched by <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW225139031 BCX0">Michael </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SpellingErrorHighlight SCXW225139031 BCX0">Francomb</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW225139031 BCX0"> </span><br /><br />Sources:</span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>“Artists Finish Black Lives Matter Mural in Downtown Greensboro.” </span><i><span>Artists Finish Black Lives Matter Mural in Greensboro</span></i><span>, </span><a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2020/06/28/artists-finish-black-lives-matter-mural-in-downtown-greensboro"><span>https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2020/06/28/artists-finish-black-lives-matter-mural-in-downtown-greensboro</span></a><span>. </span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Author: Terrence Jefferies (WFMY News 2). “New Black Lives Matter Mural to Be Painted in Downtown Greensboro.” </span><i><span>wfmynews2.Com</span></i><span>, 28 June 2020, </span><a href="https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/parts-of-elm-street-temporarily-close-for-black-lives-matter-mural-in-downtown-greensboro/83-2d89c751-9473-46ae-851f-f933e8460ae7"><span>https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/parts-of-elm-street-temporarily-close-for-black-lives-matter-mural-in-downtown-greensboro/83-2d89c751-9473-46ae-851f-f933e8460ae7</span></a><span>. </span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>“Greensboro, NC.” </span><i><span>City News</span></i><span>, </span><a href="https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/Home/Components/News/News/14885/"><span>https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/Home/Components/News/News/14885/</span></a><span>. </span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Staff. “Gallery: Greensboro's #BLM Street Mural.” </span><i><span>Triad City Beat</span></i><span>, 31 Dec. 2021, </span><a href="https://triad-city-beat.com/gallery-greensboros-blm-street-mural/"><span>https://triad-city-beat.com/gallery-greensboros-blm-street-mural/</span></a><span>. </span><span> </span></p>
<p><i><span>Street Mural Program Update - Greensboro-Nc.gov</span></i><span>. </span><a href="https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/45973/637347253887300000"><span>https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/45973/637347253887300000</span></a><span>. </span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Twitter @IMcMillerNews: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/IMcMillerNews/status/1276997573652381698?s=20"><span>https://twitter.com/IMcMillerNews/status/1276997573652381698?s=20</span></a><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Twitter @WXII: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/wxii/status/1272276730405957633"><span>https://twitter.com/wxii/status/1272276730405957633</span></a><span> </span></p>
<br />Image <a href="https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/Home/ShowPublishedImage/23289/637290329186070000">URL</a>
Urban Art Mapping Research Project
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LA
Artist: Khalil Guzman-Jerry
Photographer: City of Greensboro, Creative Greensboro
36.073874, -79.788958
Black Lives Matter Street Mural, Evanston, IL
Black Lives Matter is painted in various colors on the pavement of a parking lot. Each of the letters has a different design. Inside the letter "B" the word "love" is written in white paint.
Sholo Beverly, one of the artists, works in mixed media. They are inspired by the organic shapes in nature and the visual stimulation of the female body and energy. With a concentration in mixed media, Sholo is a vessel of intuitive creations.
Sholo Beverly, Baz Cumberbatch, Blanca Cortes, David Johnson-Niari, Ziana Pearson-Muller (Z), and Grant Rogers
<p><span>The Black Lives Matter mural in Evanston, IL, is among the 250 BLM murals in the United States. While information is unclear, the mural was most likely sanctioned because it was created on non-government property. According to Stephen Larrick in the </span><i><span>Black Lives Matter Street Mural Census</span></i><span>, The Evanston Art Center organized and sponsored the piece in their private parking lot. Sholo Bererly was the lead artist in the creation of this piece and used her mixed media approach when designing. In an interview between the Evanston Art Center and Beverly, she stated “I am a fashion junkie for textiles of patterns, and creating utopia environments visuals art”. This can be seen in the piece’s mosaic lettering. Each letter has a unique design and coloring, and the word ‘love’ appears in the letter B. Baz Cumberbatch, Blanca Cortes, David Johnson-Niari, Ziana Pearson-Muller (Z) and Grant Rogers are among the other artists who contributed to this mural. </span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>There is no clear information on the mural’s current condition. The information posted by the Evanston Art Center and new articles have not been updated since the mural’s creation. Evanston Art Center did not respond to a request for an update. While it is uncertain, based on Google Earth maps, the mural seems to have been removed. </span><span> </span></p>
<p><span>According to Catherine Buchaniec of the Daily Northwestern, like many in cities throughout the United States, residents of Evanston rallied together to protest against police brutality and for Black Lives Matter following the death of George Floyd. Students at Northwestern University also protested in Evanston. In addition, the creation of the mural in a private parking lot was significant because it took away the chances of it being removed by the government. Moreover, other street murals were dedicated to Black Lives Matter in Evanston. Karie Angell Luc and Genevieve Bookwalter of the Chicago Tribune report that a BLM mural created by the Evanston High School boy’s basketball team was defaced in July 2020.</span><span> <br /><br />Sources</span></p>
<p><a href="https://georgefloydstreetart.omeka.net/items/show/3392"><span>https://georgefloydstreetart.omeka.net/items/show/3392</span><span>Links to an external site.</span></a><span> </span><span> </span></p>
<p><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-5U-UDOFnsPdi0lu3mKNCbcySoD5LXcPOU6is5_8KD4/edit#gid=0"><span>https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-5U-UDOFnsPdi0lu3mKNCbcySoD5LXcPOU6is5_8KD4/edit#gid=0</span><span>Links to an external site.</span></a><span> </span><span> </span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.evanstonartcenter.org/black-lives-matter"><span>https://www.evanstonartcenter.org/black-lives-matter</span><span>Links to an external site.</span></a><span> </span></p>
<p><a href="https://dailynorthwestern.com/2020/06/01/city/evanston-residents-join-national-police-brutality-protests-following-george-floyd-death/"><span>https://dailynorthwestern.com/2020/06/01/city/evanston-residents-join-national-police-brutality-protests-following-george-floyd-death/</span><span>Links to an external site.</span></a><span> </span><span> </span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/ct-evr-evanston-black-lives-matter-street-tl-0709-20200706-rbreufgwbjfvpe2imw2ytgvn34-story.html"><span>https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/ct-evr-evanston-black-lives-matter-street-tl-0709-20200706-rbreufgwbjfvpe2imw2ytgvn34-story.html</span><span>Links to an external site.</span></a><span> </span><span> <br /><br /></span>Researched by Kaitlyn Juni</p>
<br />Image <a href="https://www.evanstonartcenter.org/sites/default/files/node_gallery/DJI_0300.JPG">URL</a><br /><br />News Coverage by<a href="https://www.dearevanston.org/post/artists-paint-black-lives-matter-in-eac-s-parking-lot"> Dear Evanston</a> and <a href="https://evanstonroundtable.com/2020/07/09/black-lives-matter-art-in-evanston-art-center-parking-lot/">Evanston Round Table</a>
Urban Art Mapping Research Project
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LA
Artists: Sholo Beverly, Baz Cumberbatch, Blanca Cortes, David Johnson-Niari, Ziana Pearson-Muller (Z), and Grant Rogers
Photographer: Patrick Hughes
42.064476, -87.696643
Black Lives Are Loved, Needed, and Valued Street Mural, Atlanta, GA
Black Lives Matter and are loved, needed, and valued is painted in varying bright colors on the pavement of a parking lot. Under each o the letters, there are names written. Dopson herself describes it as “whimsical” and says she created it to reflect the variety and vibrance of Black people and of people in general. The mural was organized by Kipp Strive Academy.
Ashely Dopson
Image <a href="https://nique.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Pr11qG0g-1024x576.jpeg">URL</a><br /><br />News Coverage by <a href="https://nique.net/entertainment/2020/09/27/feature-atlanta-welcomes-its-100th-mural/">Technique</a> and<a href="https://www.artsatl.org/protest-through-street-art-ashley-dopson-drops-her-palette-of-colors-on-metro-school/"> Artsatl</a><br /><br />Instagram post by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBW9GrBBFeJ/">Ahsley Dopson</a> on June 12, 2020
Urban Art Mapping Research Project
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LA
Artist: Ashely Dopson
Photographer: Art Rudick
33.741707, -84.434271
My Cries Are 4 Humanity
"My Cries Are 4 Humanity" is spray-painted in black on a brick wall. Above the phrase "We Want Peace We Want Love We Want Justice We Want Equality" is written in black.
Urban Art Mapping Research Project
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LA
Photographer: Ellie Patronas
UAM-GF_3047
George Floyd Square
Love to George Floyd
This depicts the memorial site where George Floyd was killed with a variety of objects. There are flowers, stuffed animals, hats, rocks, etc. One image present is a wood board with the Black Power fist painted in black. A smaller image has a red heart with the words "Love George Floyd" written inside.
Urban Art Mapping Research Project
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LA
Photographer: Todd Lawrence
UAM-GF_3017
George Floyd Square
Love is Power
"Love is Power" is written in retro bubble letters on a window. The letters are written in yellow, pink, blue, and green.
Urban Art Mapping Research Project
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LA
Photographers: Vicki Smith and Don Darnutzer, georgefloyd-streetart-mpls.org
UAM-GF_2958
3543 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN
Hope
Hope is written in the form of wildstyle. The "O" in the word hope is a heart. Below the word, the question "What Do You Hope For?" is posed. The question is also written in Spanish. Inside of the heart, are responses to the question. Some of the responses are "quality of life," "understanding," "stop killing," and "everyone needs love." Next to the word hope, "George Floyd" is written.
Urban Art Mapping Research Project
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LA
Photographers: Vicki Smith and Don Darnutzer, georgefloyd-streetart-mpls.org
Artist: Erorlabb
UAM-GF_2945
2130 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN
Community Messages
Mural full of community messages. Some of the messages include "God Love You," "Hope," "Love," and "Community Unity." Each of the messages are written in different colors.
paint_our_peace on Instagram
Urban Art Mapping Research Project
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LA
Photographers: Vicki Smith and Don Darnutzer, georgefloyd-streetart-mpls.org
paint_our_peace
UAM-GF_2943
2130 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN
Community Wall
Community mural in the process of being painted.
paint_our_peace on Instagram
Urban Art Mapping Research Project
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LA
Photographers: Vicki Smith and Don Darnutzer, georgefloyd-streetart-mpls.org
paint_our_peace on Instagram
UAM-GF_2942
2130 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN