birminghamal.gov
Work began Wednesday on a “Black Lives Matter’’ street art installation in downtown Birmingham near Railroad Park.
The goal is to have the project finished before this Friday, which is the Juneteenth commemoration of June 19, 1865, when all previously enslaved people in Texas were free.
The city’s project, which is along First Avenue South between 16th and 17th streets, developed after two people, who did not know each other contacted the Mayor’s Office with the same idea of unity.
Cara McClure, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Birmingham, and mural artist Shawn Fitzwater both reached out to the city about the art. McClure contacted Mayor Randall L. Woodfin with an interest to celebrate Juneteenth and honor activists and Foot Soldiers by painting “Black Lives Matter’’ on a Birmingham street. McClure told the mayor that such an image was done in Washington, D.C. on June 5.
McClure, however, was unaware that Fitzwater had contacted the Mayor’s Office of Public Information (OPI) with an idea to duplicate the D.C. message. Fitzpatrick suggested that local mural artists paint the message.
When OPI and Woodfin discovered that both people had similar ideas, discussions were held to see what could be done to make the ideas a reality. The two concepts were merged, and a block near Railroad Park was selected as the space to display the message.
“It’s a cry, it’s a rallying cry that we matter,” McClure said. Putting the words on the street, keeps the message visible, she said. “It’s doing our work of action when we’re not here,” she added.
“I love how were seeing a lot of change now and I’d love to be involved,” Fitzwater said.
McClure and Fitzwater began work with the city’s Transportation Department along with Joseph Casper Baker III of the I Believe in Birmingham group.
Updated at 10:19 p.m. on 6/17/20 to correct spelling of Fitzwater’s last name.
ABC 3340 contributed to this post.
