Themovementto reinforce the message that Black lives, in fact, do not matter seems to remain Trump’s administration’s primary concern. The message is abundantly apparent in its outlandish attacks on DEI initiatives, its freezing of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, and the hiring freeze at several federal agencies.
And as if those examples were not enough to amplify this administration’s sentiment about our well-being, we’re now learning that Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser will likely succumb to this administration’s pressure and remove the Black Lives Matter mural on the street a block away from the White House.
In fact, it appears that the process has already begun.
This mural, a powerful symbol of the ongoing struggle for racial equality, has been a beacon of hope and unity for the community since Keyonna Jones and six fellow artists painted it in 2020. Although the mural’s removal is par for the course in this political climate, the blatant attack on Black art feels like insult added to injury.
Black artists have always been central to the fight for equality and justice. We experienced this during the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement of the ’60s and ’70s, and the 2020 uprisings when artists such as Amy Sherald invited the world to see the vulnerability of Breonna Taylor through the stunning full-body portrait she created. Jones stands among these artists as someone whose “creations have always drawn from and reflected on issues of racism, police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement,” Michelle Brown wrote in Washington Life.
Our artists use their gifts to capture the emotions of the people they fight for. And oftentimes, art is the only mechanism powerful enough to capture the magnitude and scope of injustice deeply woven into this country’s fabric. When Jet Magazine published a photograph of Emmett Till’s open-casket funeral in 1955, it helped ignite the Civil Rights Movement, ultimately changing the course of history. There is unmistakable power in art — and it doesn’t miss me that Trump allies have threatened to cut funding to the city if it doesn’t erase this mural.
Oftentimes, art is the only mechanism powerful enough to capture the magnitude and scope of injustice deeply woven into this country’s fabric.
Attacking art made by Black creatives is yet another tool to discourage us from fighting and recording our history. It’s why our books get banned and our work gets erased. When reflecting on her feelings about the pending removal of her work, Jones told The New York Times: “Being a Black woman, I’m kind of used to the feeling of things being taken away and being erased from our history.”
And while it was a familiar feeling for her — and it’s perfectly human for artists to acknowledge any feelings of despair — we can’t let it continue to be the norm.
It’s vital to understand that the goal of this administration is to abuse its power as it attempts to lessen ours. Pressuring a city official to remove a piece of art that helped unite the city during such an explosive time is a clear signal to Black creatives. We must see this power play for what it is, but not allow it to stop us from fighting to show the world that Black lives really do matter.
Our movement is more significant than a sign; it is about people. Fred Hampton once said, “You can jail a revolutionary, but you can’t jail a revolution.” Hopefully, the removal of this mural will empower Black artists to embrace Hampton’s sentiment: You can erase a sign, but you can’t erase the artists.
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Bowser is truly in a harrowing situation, but I hope she knows that our activism doesn’t stop when an administration changes. Nor do we cower to their unspoken goal of erasing us. Our power lies in our tenacity and ability to be ingenious during extreme adversity. We learned this from the original Black artists — some of whom are our ancestors who used cornrows in Black women’s hair to store seeds to grow food and create maps of safer passages to escape plantations.
Black art is, always has been, and always will be a method to help our people find paths to freedom. One of our murals is being removed. It’s time to paint 10 more.