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On June 22nd, 2020, one month after the murder of George Floyd, a Black Lives Matter mural was painted on Linwood Avenue in Patterson Park located in Baltimore, Maryland. The mural was organized by the neighbors of the community. The mural was not sanctioned. The mural was created by around 30 people who started painting it in the evening. The only lights they had available were the streetlamps, cellphone lights, and car headlights.
This location was a prime spot for the Black Lives Matter mural. The avenue is part of a program that prevents heavy car traffic from coming through, making it a safer area for people to walk, bike, and run.. Not only does this prevent the paint from wearing off, but people can also actually pass by and take pictures or take a moment to admire the mural. Robbyn Lewis (D-Baltimore City) stated “By painting the mural here, it further demonstrates that the street belongs to people.”
As of May 2023, the mural has faded away.
Alongside the painting of the mural, there were also marches. Baltimore was one of few American cities where the protestors against police brutality have stayed calm. There wasn’t even a curfew in effect. In solidarity with a group of protestors in front of City Hall, personnel of the Baltimore police department took a symbolic knee and even linked arms with the protestors while marching downtown. By creating this mural, it gave people hope. Especially for Lewis, “that mural made me feel that I had grabbed hold of a lifeline of hope,” she said. “We’re all hungry for something good, and there it was.”
Sources
Campbell, Colin. “'A Lifeline of Hope': Black Lives Matter Painted on Street in Baltimore's Patterson Park.” Baltimore Sun, 22 June 2020, https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-blm-street-mural-20200622-pjpog3ubzjfetcuir4a6xxgj6m-story.html.
Cassie, Ron. “Why Baltimore's George Floyd Protest Is Different.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 4 June 2020, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-04/why-baltimore-s-george-floyd-protest-is-different.
Sofastaii, Mallory. “New Black Lives Matter Mural Covers Street in Patterson Park.” WMAR 2 News Baltimore, WMAR 2 News Baltimore, 22 June 2020, https://www.wmar2news.com/news/region/baltimore-city/new-black-lives-matter-mural-covers-street-in-patterson-park.
Researched by Faith NordsvingImage URL
News Coverage by Baltimore WMAR and Baltimore City
Tweet by Del. Robbyn Lewis on June 22, 2020
Tweet by Zeke Cohen on June 22, 2020
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