Uptown street with Black Lives Matter mural to remain a pedestrian plaza for now
The part of S. Tryon Street in uptown that has the Black Lives Matter street mural will stay closed to traffic through Sept. 30, city officials and Charlotte Center City Partners said Thursday.
The new pedestrian plaza pilot program, led by city planning director Taiwo Jaiyeoba, rethinks how Charlotte’s open spaces could be transformed in future development projects.
“The Black Lives Matter mural represents visual support of the lives of African Americans each and every day,” City Council member Malcolm Graham told the Observer Thursday. “It demonstrates we are a progressive city that understands the value of all lives, in general, and specifically Black lives as it relates to what’s happening across the country with the levels of racism and racist activity.”
Jaiyeoba said Charlotte may extend traffic closures around the area, after studying the pilot program’s impact on nearby residents and businesses. There are no immediate plans to resurface South Tryon, he said.
Seventeen Charlotte artists created the vibrant piece between Third and Fourth streets on June 9 amid days of protests after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. Artists collaborated with the City of Charlotte, Charlotte Is Creative, Brand the Moth and BLKMRKTCLT.
Each multi-colored letter in the Charlotte mural invokes different portrayals of discrimination and the push for racial justice.
”Imagine for a few minutes that we can ‘art-ify’ the intersection of Trade and Tryon with ‘Black Lives Matter!’ ” Jaiyeoba had tweeted last month when musing over the mural concept, after seeing the Black Lives Matter mural painted in Washington, D.C.
Jaiyeoba said he is working with local artists to build on the mural’s momentum, potentially installing more creations focused on social justice throughout Charlotte.
“It becomes, in my mind, a healing symbol,” Jaiyeoba told the Observer. “That’s the spirit of our city — being able to embrace something new, something different.”
Similar murals have cropped up across the country, including in Raleigh and Rock Hill.
Calls for police reform
Charlotte officials had previously closed the city block in June, after the installation was defaced by tire marks.
The mural, which will likely remain on the pavement for at least another year, was repaired and painted over with a clear coat to prevent future damage. No one has been charged in the incident, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said Thursday.
In recent weeks, local activists have pressured City Council to take swifter action to overhaul CMPD — emphasizing that the mural does not address their concerns, including the use of chemical agents against peaceful protesters.
”It was a beautiful expression of our values and the community has really connected with it,” City Council member Larken Egleston said of the mural. “But at no point did anyone think that was going to take the place of the actual work to improve our policies or improve the way our local government and law enforcement works — and how we seek equality and justice for the people in our community.”
City leaders on Monday said they are embarking on an ambitious 90-day plan to assess the role of police officers in the community, as well as evaluate CMPD’s policies and budget.
A City Council committee is also supposed to be reviewing a June 2 protest incident in uptown. Peaceful marchers on 4th Street were boxed in and targeted with tear gas, stun grenades and pepper balls by riot-control police officers.
A State Bureau of Investigation review used street camera and bystander video footage to determine protesters had two escape routes, though they were filled with smoke. The review did not conclude whether the officers followed laws or policies during the incident.
This story was originally published July 9, 2020 at 12:17 PM.