'We Learned From People Like John': Artists Create 'Black Lives Matter' Mural In Minneapolis In Wake Of Rep. John Lewis' Death
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- In the heat of the July sun, 16 artists came together Saturday to make a declaration: Black Lives Matter.
And now, it's painted on Plymouth Avenue in north Minneapolis. It's a phrase that has new momentum after the killing of George Floyd in May, according to Tina Burnside of the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery.
"That sparked a movement against police brutality and also the fight for racial justice, and also the fight against systemic racism, so this is just a piece of it, just a symbol of it," Burnside said.
This focus on racial justice comes in the somber shadow of the death of a Civil Rights icon: Democratic Georgia Congressman John Lewis. When the Civil Rights Act of 1964 met resistance in the south, Lewis helped lead hundreds of Black voters on a 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
Read More: Minnesota Leaders Remember John Lewis' Voice, Persistence, And Legacy
John Jamison, board chair of the Northside Residential Redevelopment Council, says the movement is indebted to Lewis.
"Those were the times that really taught America, and especially Black Americans, about how to stand up for the rights that they need. And John taught that, and I don't think we can ever, ever walk away from that. And that's what we see today. And that's what made this impact around George Floyd important because we learned from people like John," Jamison said.
Anika Robbins, chair of the Minneapolis Civil Right Commission, says Lewis' death should remind people that they themselves can be the change they want to see in their own communities.
"You know, often times when giants like that leave us, there's always talk of who's going to take their place. But really, we're living in a time where everyone is the change. Everyone needs to stand up and step into their leadership and lead from where they are," Robbins said.
They are thankful for those who paved the way, as they continue to paint the way.
The mural can be found on Plymouth Avenue North between Penn and Newton avenues.
Read More: 'It Made Me Cry': Civil Rights Leader John Lewis Responds To Video Of George Floyd's Killing