07/05/2020
A few shots of the new Black Lives Matter road mural being completed early this morning on Washington Street in Boston.
From the official press release:
BLACK MARKET NUBIAN LEADS BLACK LIVES MATTER STREET MURAL SERIES KICKING OFF THE NUBIAN SQ. ARTS INITIATIVE
is not just another hashtag for Black Bostonians. It is a call to action, an attitude, and an axiom that bravely stands on the shoulders of the former Roxbury-based Civil Rights activists, artists and world thought leaders Malcolm X, Coretta Scott, Martin Luther King, Melnea Cass, and Marcus Garvey to name a few. In honoring Roxbury's black historical legacy, Black Market Nubian is making it a priority to bring on Roxbury natives and local artists, Paul āMarā Chapman and Lee Beard to create the City of Bostonās first Black Lives Matter street mural.
In June 2020, Mayor Walsh pledged to make Boston a national leader in battling racism (The Boston Globe). āWe know that the fight against racism will only be successful when there is a redistribution of wealth and land. For us, it's about developing a real, live City and State working plan for reparations for the descendants of not just slavery, but for those of us who had our homes torn from us due to urban renewal, redlining, job discrimination through unions and beyondā- Kai Grant.
As the owner and Chief Curator of Bostonās most Black-centered space, Kai Grant. challenged the Mayor and City to empower local Black artists to create a symbolic series of powerful visual statements across the city. The Mayor accepted the challenge and as a result, Black Market Nubian will be reclaiming Nubian Square as one of the Countryās most black historical sites with the first installment in the series being created on āAmericaās birthdayā- July 4th, 2020. The 500 foot mural is being painted in the heart of Nubian Square on Washington Street between Palmer Street and Eustis Street and the project is slated for completion on July 5, 2020.
This mural is a Nubian Square Public Art Initiative kick-off with many other artists such as Pro-Blak, Chanel Thervil, Mikey Janey + more in and throughout the District + Roxbury Community creating a digital walkable art map.