‘Black Lives Do Matter’ mural scrapped after NC city leader calls phrase too political
A North Carolina city approved street art — but not with the proposed slogan “Black Lives Do Matter.”
Instead, council members in Greenville voted 4-3 to move forward with a mural featuring a phrase that one city leader said evoked unity.
“From a wording standpoint, unifying is something that I think we should all think about,” Council member William Litchfield Jr. said, according to video from Monday’s meeting. “And a statement like Unite Against Racism is a statement that every single member of our community should be able to get behind.”
The remark came during a discussion about a mural proposed for First Street, near the Tar River Amphitheater in the city that’s roughly 85 miles east of Raleigh. Black artists had been called upon to add the words “Black Lives Do Matter” to the site.
But at least one council member expressed concerns about the phrase, saying some may see links between the words and the organization Black Lives Matter. That group said in October that it was preparing to launch a political action committee, according to Politico.
Brian Meyerhoeffer of the Greenville city council said he’s not sure if referring to Black Lives Matter would put the city on a “slippery slope.”
“I just think we’ve got to be very careful about wading into the political space,” Meyerhoeffer said. “I just don’t ever want to give the impression, real or perceived, that we support or endorse a political entity.”
But council member Monica Daniels said she thinks the street art phrasing was changed from “Black Lives Matter” to “Black Lives Do Matter” so people wouldn’t link it to the group.
Litchfield proposed the change to the mural during the meeting with the alternate phrase “Unite Against Racism.” Holly Garriott, executive director of the Pitt County Arts Council, said adjusting the wording would call for a new design.
“It is like starting from scratch,” Garriott told council members. “Not only have they designed for their specific letter that has been part of it, an entire layout has been designed.”
Not everyone on the city council was on board with the new wording. Mayor Pro Tem Rose Glover said she and another Black council member weren’t given enough time to discuss the change with the community.
“This puts me in the mind of someone asking for a gift then you give them something else,” Council member Daniels said. “Don’t be surprised when they’re disappointed because that’s not what they asked for.”
Across North Carolina, signs with the slogan “Black Lives Matter” have been erected or discussed after the death of George Floyd in May brought renewed attention to racism and policing, McClatchy News reported. Four officers were fired and charged after Floyd, a Black man, died in Minneapolis police custody.
This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 4:48 PM with the headline "‘Black Lives Do Matter’ mural scrapped after NC city leader calls phrase too political."
