This street mural is in Greenville, North Carolina, and was created on December 13th, 2020, after months of planning. It says “Unite Against Racism” in large capital letters across West First Street, next to the Town Common Park. Each letter is a different color and contains different images. According to Professor Alice Arnold who was interviewed after viewing the artwork, “Inside each letter are messages. Sometimes words and sometimes images… Very beautiful and very well crafted. The messages are really clear”. Examples of phrases inside the letters are “Power to the People” and “Black Votes Matter”. The mural is two traffic lanes tall. The street was closed for 24 hours after the mural was completed to allow the public to safely view it. Cars were able to drive over the mural after that period.
This mural was sanctioned. The idea for the mural was brought to the city council in June but wasn’t approved until November 9th. 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 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
Researched by the Urban Art Mapping TeamTCU (Texas Christian University) football player, Kellton Hollins, approached University officials in an email saying he wanted to create a message on TCU’s campus like the “End Racism Now” street mural in downtown Fort Worth. According to Art+Seek, the downtown mural was commissioned by the Tarrant County Democratic Party and designed by Sedrick and Letitia Huckaby. This mural was not permanent and was done in all water-based paint (Weeks). The mural was painted by over two hundred volunteers including Hollins, who in return wanted to empower specifically fellow Black student-athletes on TCU’s campus. TCU’s mural was designed by student-athletes at TCU and painted by a myriad of students, staff, and faculty. The mural depicts the word “End” in dark blue and “Racism” in black and was painted on August 7th, 2020, two months after the downtown Fort Worth mural.
TCU’s mural was located on a sidewalk on campus and was chosen because it sits between the athletic and academic sides of campus. This was intentionally done to bridge the gap between students and student-athletes. After participating in the painting of the mural, students, athletes, and faculty were invited to sign their names on the mural showing their dedication and support to Hollins’ anti-racism pledge. The pledge on TCU’s student newspaper website reads, “Racism has penetrated the roots of our country and has been a part of its history since the beginning. With the climate of today’s world, we must decide what we are fighting for. No longer will we stand for any form of racism. By signing what we are fighting, you are committing to standing in solidarity with those who have fought against racism for years. By signing your name, you are committing to educating yourself and others about the injustices in America. By signing your name, you are committing to taking action. We must END RACISM” (Umsted). The fate of the mural remains unknown, although a Google Earth search does not show that the mural is still present.
Researched by Ellie Patronas
Sources
Umsted, Renee. “TCU Football Player Sparks Making of 'End Racism' Mural.” TCU 360, 29 Sept. 2020, tcu360.com/2020/08/10/tcu-football-player-sparks-making-of-end-racism-mural/.
Weeks, Jerome. “Hundreds Paint Mural Declaring 'End Racism Now' in Fort Worth.” Art&Seek, 11 Nov. 2020, artandseek.org/2020/06/29/hundreds-paint-mural-declaring-end-racism-now-in-fort-worth/.