‘Part of history.’ Charlotte Black Lives Matter mural repaired after damage
South Tryon Street was bustling on Sunday as artists worked to repair the Black Lives Matter mural that had been defaced by tire marks just days after its installation.
Artists worked under the hot sun in uptown Charlotte, touching up every letter while upbeat music filled the block.
The mural, which was painted on the pavement Tuesday after nearly two weeks of Black Lives Matter protests in Charlotte, was damaged by an unknown driver. The vandalism was discovered Friday morning. Police have said they are investigating. As of Sunday afternoon, no arrests were announced.
Artist Kiana Mui carefully worked to repair her letter — the “E” in LIVES — on Sunday afternoon. The black and white work was inspired by anime.
The cartoon panels depict a conversation between a person whose response to “Black Lives Matter” is “All Lives Matter,” and a second person explaining “how insensitive it is with such a big movement when we’re just fighting for basic human rights,” she said.
Mui said she wanted her work to speak for itself, but said she wasn’t surprised someone would want to deface the mural.
“If it agitated them, that’s the kind of people we need to inform and educate,” she said. But, she said, she was glad to see the strong turnout as it was repaired.
“It won’t be ruined,” she said of the mural. “It’s definitely going to be here and part of history for Charlotte.”
Seventeen Charlotte-based artists created the mural, in partnership with the city of Charlotte, Charlotte Is Creative, Brand the Moth and BLKMRKTCLT, The Observer has previously reported. A spokeswoman with the city said Sunday the repaired mural will be sealed with clear coat paint.
The tire tread marks covered most if not all of the length of the mural.
Since its installation, the mural has been a focal point for many people participating in peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstrations, as well as a draw for families, visitors and graduates looking to take photos in their cap and gown. Protests have been ongoing nationwide and in Charlotte since May 29 in reaction to the death of George Floyd.
Sunday saw dozens of onlookers stop by as the artists made repairs. Many took pictures of the work.
Matthew Clayburn covered his letter “A” with an even coat of white paint, a blank canvas to recreate “E.G.O,” the character he has been drawing since the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012. Martin, an unarmed Black teenager, was fatally shot in Florida by a vigilante neighborhood watchman as he walked home in a hooded sweatshirt. Since then, Clayburn said, he’s identified with the hoodie imagery and incorporated it into his art.
“He’s a proponent for self-awareness, emotional awareness,” he said of his character. “I think it’s something that a lot of people don’t talk about, being sensitive and feeling things.”
Clayburn said the damage adds another layer to the story, as does the effort to repair it, calling the community response to repair the mural and the public attendance “surreal.”
“It’s like a new birth,” he said of the decision to start fresh on his letter. “Hopefully it’s a new birth for the city.”
This story was originally published June 14, 2020 at 4:35 PM.
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