Protest signs and artwork on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, Date: 03 October 2020

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Title

Protest signs and artwork on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, Date: 03 October 2020

Coverage

H Street NW and 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C., 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.

There is a map of Washington D.C. that has three stencils of Donald Trump’s head spray painted on it and it reads “LIES” which is coming from his mouth and “COVID!” underneath the heads.

Some posters read “Where Was the NRA when Philando was MURDERED?” This is next to a painted portrait of Trayvon Martin that reads “Trayvon” and there is a poster that is the District of Columbia Bicycle Map and has a stencil of Uncle Sam and reads “Hope Yes.” Then there is a written note that reads “ USA ’s Hope Hicks” Another District of Columbia Bicycle Map has a stencil of Uncle Sam and it reads “HOPE This is for you, California.”

There are cardboard posters that read “Racism is Small Dick Energy” and there is a black power fist on an individual cardboard poster. Another poster that has caution tape on it reads “NO JUSTICE” There is another poster that reads “My Daddy is a HERO My daddy is not a Loser” And there are four images of Heath Robinson or his daughter. Heath Robinson seems to have served the National Guard and passed away.
There is a poster that reads “Rest in Power Bradley Blackshire February 22, 2019” and an image of him.

Another poster reads “Red or Blue They’ll Still Kill You” and next to this is a poster that reads “Ensign Jesse Brown Black Lives Mattered…in the Korean War.” With a photograph of Jesse Brown when he served in the Korean War.

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

2020-10-03

Contributor

MM

Identifier

UAM-GF_3713

Geolocation