Black Lives Matter Sign Removed From 'Say Their Names' Exhibit At Dallas High School After Complaints
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A public exhibit displayed along a fence at Lake Highlands High School is getting local attention- some of it good, but some of it rejection.
Say Their Names is a collection of dozens of photographs of black men and women killed over the past 100 years. Their deaths are tied to race-fueled acts or police abuse of force incidents.
The images include Dallas area fatal victims of police involved shootings, such as Botham Jean, Jordan Edwards and Lake Highlands High grad Atatiana Jefferson.
Lake Highlands Area Moms Against Racism organized the exhibit and received permission from the Richardson Independent School District to display the work on school property.
Visitors have left flowers, notes, placards, etc, as statements of affirmation and appreciation.
But RISD Superintendent Dr. Jeannie Stone also received complaints about the exhibit.
At least one "Black Lives Matter" sign was attached to the display by organizer Lowry Manders.
Dr. Stone said some nearby residents deemed the sign "political."
The BLM sign was removed from the exhibit.
"We did not want it to turn into something divisive or negative. I know some in the community believe Black Lives Matter is political in nature, and RISD should not advocate for anything that is political", Dr. Stone said Tuesday.
"There are people, including us, who are sad that people complained about that sign," Manders said.
The Moms Against Racism group said racial and ethnic diversity of the group works to listen to each other, and the opposition to the BLM signs was disappointing.
"We are simply saying black lives matter too, and we want them to matter in our community," LHAMAR member Denita Jones said. Manders said far more families brought children to see the memorial, and support it.
"There are more families in support of a memorial like this, than there are offended by it, in our district," she said.
The exhibit allows visitors to leave written messages, but Black Lives Matter signs remained banned.
