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Chalk ‘Black Lives Matter’ mural coming to downtown

Posted by Dale Liesch | Jun 17, 2020 | Latest, News | 0 |

For Soynika Edwards-Bush, the term “Black Lives Matter” is more than a phrase. It’s a movement and it’s gaining momentum. She also doesn’t understand why it’s viewed by some as divisive.

“It is simply saying ‘I am here, do you see me now?’” She said. “‘Do you hear me now?’”

Edwards-Bush and other artists will create a chalk mural that reads “Black Lives Matter,” on Sunday, June 21 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. in front of the Alabama Contemporary Arts Center building on Conti Street downtown. Attendees are encouraged to wear masks, according to a statement from the center.

“I’m doing it with some local artists,” she said. “We’re going to do the outline and have community members come and fill it in.”

The idea was sparked by actions in other cities where artists, and in some cases the cities themselves, painted large “Black Lives Matter” murals on streets. Edwards-Bush believes it will be a first phase, and would like to see a more permanent fixture follow.

The event will be held in conjunction with a virtual Juneteenth celebration at Cathedral Square and on Facebook, honoring black-owned businesses in the area, according to organizer Kimberly Pettway. Juneteenth is a celebration marking the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. The celebration will include a brief libation ceremony, Pettway said, in an attempt to follow social distancing guidelines.

Pettway confirmed that while the mural Sunday would be temporary, there have been discussions with Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s office about a more permanent fixture near it.

“We are anticipating a second phase,” Pettway said. “We’re in conversations with the city for a permanent marker. What it will look like, I can’t tell you because I don’t know.”

In a statement on its website, the Alabama Contemporary Art Center said the project is dedicated to “bringing a sustained long-term show of support for the Black and Indigenous communities of Mobile and the surrounding areas.”

“In service of this goal, the committee is developing a long-term plan to renew the Black Lives Matter street mural and establish a precedent and support system for ongoing work towards racial equity in our city,” the center’s statement read. “The mural itself presents an opportunity to celebrate and support the work of local artists [and] coordinate activities designed to both honor the history of black people in Mobile and celebrate their current contributions to our vibrant city.”

In an email, Mobile Arts Council Executive Director Lucy Gafford said the group has served as a connection point on the project by helping to secure necessary permits and tackling other logistical issues.

“We’re excited to have a hand in this project,” she wrote. “An essential function of the arts, and humanity, is to learn from each other’s collective experiences. During these times of crisis, it is vitally important for us to exhibit compassion for one another.”

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About The Author

Dale Liesch

Dale Liesch

Dale Liesch has been a reporter at Lagniappe since February 2014. He covers all aspects of the city of Mobile, including the mayor, City Council, the Mobile Housing Board of Commissioners, GulfQuest National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico and others. He studied journalism at The University of Alabama and graduated in 2007. He came to Lagniappe, after several years in the newspaper industry. He achieved the position of news editor at The Alexander City Outlook before moving to Virginia and then subsequently moving back a few years later. He has a number of Alabama and Virginia Press association awards to his name. He grew up in the wilderness of Baldwin County, among several different varieties of animals including: dogs, cats, ducks, chickens, a horse and an angry goat. He now lives in the Oakleigh neighborhood of Mobile with his wife, Hillary, and daughter, Joan. The family currently has no goats, angry or otherwise, but is ruled by the whims of two very energetic dogs.

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