Protest signs and artwork on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, Date: 27 November 2020

Title

Protest signs and artwork on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, Date: 27 November 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.

A poster reads “This Daughter of an Immigrant Dyke Voted Your White Supremacist Ass Out” and the word “dyke” is filled in with rainbow colors.

There is a ladder, lawn chairs, and multiple posters, with some on the ground as well that read “Proud Boys Are Little BITCHES” “Justice For Karon” “Biden Kamala 2021” ”Welcome 1st Woman Vice President” “White silence Fuels Domestic Terrorism” “Goodbye 2020” “Retire to Russia” “Fuck Your Fence” “Fuck Your White Supremacy” “Black Power” “The Whole Damn System Is Racist As Hell” “In Solidarity” “LIBERTY and JUSTICE for ALL not some” “FUCK Trump is corrupt too! @RemiBux333”

There is a poster that reads “Black Lives Matter” repeatedly on it six times, and there is a black power fist painted on top of this.
There is a large black poster that reads “#StopMPD Black Lives Matter”

There are multiple photographs of victims of police brutality and they read “Anthony Hill March 2015 Rest In Power” “Rest In Power Henry Lee Sr.” “Rest In Power Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford Jr November 22, 2018” “Kevin Higginbotham March 12, 2016” “Rest In Power James Anderson” “Victo Larosa III July 2015 Rest In Power” “[illegible]n Harrison June 14, 2015 Rest In Power”

There is a poster that reads “Black Trans Lives Matter” and the poster has the colors of the transgender flag which is blue, pink, and white.

There is a poster that has the image of the American flag on it and it reads “Black Lives Matter”.
There is an image of an oil can and has a headshot of Joe Biden on it and it reads “Uncle Joe’s Restore -A- Country Now with [illegible] Agents Special Democracy Formulation CAUTION: Contents under pressure Red. TM. [illegible] 10/22/2020 #restore[illegible]”

There is a poster that shows two interlocking hands and is holding up a scale that is traditionally seen as held by Lady Justice and it reads “’There Can Be No Love Without Justice’ – bell hooks Black Lives Matter” and the Instagram handle of the artist is on the poster as well which reads “@brianonymous”

There is a poster that reads “Support Protect Listen Fight For Your Black Friends” and there are four different colored stickers which are pink, purple, green, and red respectively with stars on the poster that each read “Support Your Black Friends” “Protect Your Black Friends” “Listen To Your Black Friends” “Fight Your Black Friends” and then the Instagram Handle of the artist which reads “@KellynsStickas

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

2020-11-27

Contributor

MM

Identifier

UAM-GF_3763