Title

Protest signs and artwork on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, Date: 29 June 2020

Coverage

H Street NW and 16th Street NW, Washington, DC, USA

Description

Protest signs and posters on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, located on the north side of Lafayette Park in Washington D.C.

Some of the signs on the fence read "I have a dream, a dream where no matter who you are or where you are from, access to opportunities are equal, a dream where color is about celebration of diversity and not oppression. BLM,"Let Me Breathe," and "Freedom For All,"We Keep Us Safe." Near one of the signs is a pair of gloves with various phrases such as "Wash Hands," "Vote," and "Vote Bunker Boy Out." Multiple names of murderd Black individuals are also written on the gloves.

Source

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

Rights

Photographer: Aliza Leventhal

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Publisher

Urban Art Mapping

Date

2020-06-29

Contributor

LA