Black Lives Matter On Lark Street In Albany
Black Live Matter was a status on Twitter that has transformed into the Civil Rights movement of this generation. The City of Albany and In Our Own Voices have come together to make a big artistic statement for the Capital District. Yesterday the LGBT+ organization had "BLACK LIVES MATTER" painted on Lark Street covering the downtown Albany street in big yellow letters with the statement Black Lives Matter.
Other cities have also allowed the mural to be painted on streets around the country. Washington DC, Charlotte, NC, and Miami, Fl just to name a few of the cities across the country participated in the artistic expression. The Albany mural sits on a block that has issues of racial discrimination. One of the tattoo shops on that street went viral last year for having something negative to say about black customers years ago.
I wonder if business owners in that neighborhood are supportive of the mural or this is intrusive to their businesses? On one forum there were complaints about the mural wasting tax dollars. In my opinion, this perspective lingers with underlying racism because the city does the same thing every year for multiple events. An example of this is the crosswalks that are painted rainbow colors all around Albany, in recognition of LGBT pride month. I have never seen a comment about this artistic display being a waste of money.
Despite the criticism, I think the mural adds life to the City of Albany, most of the artwork that has been placed around the City to protest brutality truly give the Capital Region artistic excitement. People are active and they want justice for all a promise that was given to American citizens in 1776. If that virtue was the American way providing Justice For All, black lives matter wouldn’t be the movement that it has become today. I hope after all the symbolistic expression that is going on in cities across the nation makes way for legislation and reparations to insure Black Americans are provided the same justice that was promised to citizens in 1776.
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