George Floyd mural | |
---|---|
Artist | Emma Berger |
Year | 2020 |
Location | Portland, Oregon, United States |
45°31′04″N122°40′39″W / 45.5179°N 122.6775°W |
A mural of George Floyd was painted by Emma Berger outside Portland, Oregon's Apple Pioneer Place, on June 1, 2020, a week after his death, against the background of the ongoing protests against police brutality. She expanded the mural to show Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and phrases associated with the Black Lives Matter movement. The work was vandalized in August, and repaired by the artist. It was covered by Apple Inc. in December for preservation, then removed in January 2021 to be donated to Don't Shoot PDX.
Emma Berger painted a mural of George Floyd outside Apple Pioneer Place in downtown Portland, on June 1, 2020. She completed the mural, which depicted Floyd and the phrase "I can't breathe", in approximately two hours and without seeking permission. [1] [2] Berger later added the faces of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, [3] [4] as well as the phrases "black lives matter" and "say their names". The image of Floyd is 8-foot (2.4 m) tall. Berger invited other artists to contribute to the mural; more faces, names, and background imagery were added on June 4. More artworks were added to the surrounding area. [5]
The mural was vandalized in August 2020; the text "It's okay to be white" was written in spray-paint. Berger returned to repair the artwork. [6] In December 2020, Apple covered the mural for preservation. [7] [8] The work was removed in January 2021, [9] and donated to Don't Shoot PDX. [10] [9]
The memorial was expanded by community members, who wrote poems using chalk and added candles. [1] People also left flowers, pictures, and signs. [5] [11] According to KOIN's Ken Boddie, the work "became a national symbol". [10]
Apple described the mural as "a monumental art piece honoring the ongoing fight for justice" and said in a statement: "Apple stands in support of the artists and all who are fighting for social and racial justice. We are honored to have hosted the murals and are very happy to entrust the artwork to Don't Shoot Portland in support of their advocacy for social change." [12] Don't Shoot PDX said the paintings "reflect the responses of so many that were witnesses to last summer's uprisings, answering the joint call to action against institutionalized violence and white nationalism". [12]
The Promised Land is a bronze sculpture by David Manuel that was formerly installed in Chapman Square, in Portland, Oregon. The sculpture, erected in 1993, depicts a pioneer family at the end of their journey. It was removed from public display in 2020 in response to vandalism and racial justice concerns during the George Floyd protests.
Don't Shoot Portland, also called Don't Shoot PDX, is a Portland, Oregon-based accountability group formed by Black Lives Matter supporter Teressa Raiford to scrutinize actions of the Portland Police Bureau.
S. Lee Merritt is an American civil rights lawyer and activist, most known for his work on racial justice issues.
On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was murdered during a racially motivated hate crime while jogging in Satilla Shores, a neighborhood near Brunswick in Glynn County, Georgia. Three white men, who later claimed to police that they assumed he was a burglar, pursued Arbery in their trucks for several minutes, using the vehicles to block his path as he tried to run away. Two of the men, Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, were armed in one vehicle. Their neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan, was in another vehicle. After overtaking Arbery, Travis exited his truck, pointing his weapon at Arbery. Arbery approached Travis and a physical altercation ensued, resulting in Travis fatally shooting Arbery. Bryan recorded this confrontation and Arbery's murder on his cell phone.
Starting in May 2020, protests following the murder of George Floyd were held in the city of Portland, Oregon, concurrent with protests in other cities in the United States and around the world. By July 2020, many of the protests, which had been held every day since May 28, drew more than 1,000 participants. Protests continued into August, September, and October 2020, often drawing hundreds.
This is a list of protests brought on by the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in Kentucky, United States. In 2020, there were protests throughout Kentucky in reaction to the shooting of Breonna Taylor and murder of George Floyd by police, as well as the shooting of David McAtee by the Kentucky Army National Guard. The demonstrations happened regularly in the largest cities in Kentucky, including Louisville and Lexington. Many of the smaller cities had protests on at least one day.
This is a list of protests in South Carolina related to the murder of George Floyd.
A series of George Floyd protests took place in Georgia, United States, following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. 11 consecutive days of protests and rallies occurred in Atlanta through June 8, 2020. Through July 2020, protests occurred in twenty various cities and communities in the state.
The Not Fucking Around Coalition (NFAC) is a black nationalist militia, part of the militia movement in the United States. The group advocates for black liberation and separatism. It has been described by news outlets as a "Black militia". It denies any connection to the Black Panther Party or Black Lives Matter.
The Wall of Moms is a group primarily made up of women who identify as mothers, who have demonstrated in George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon, as well as other groups in U.S. cities including Chicago, Seattle, and Tampa, Florida. The group's first protest was attended by approximately 40 women; hundreds to thousands have participated since then.
Many artworks related to the Black Lives Matter movement were created in Portland, Oregon, United States, during local protests over the murder of George Floyd and other Black Americans. Oregon Arts Watch contextualized the artistic works, stating that a "whitewashed pre-COVID lens" on American life, which obscured systemic racism, had been "cracked", and describing artists' response to racial violence being brought into the public eye was a "marathon, not a sprint".
Many artworks related to the Black Lives Matter movement have been created. These works are either seen as a direct tribute to those who have died or more broadly to the movement. Often the pieces are created in the streets as to be more publicly visible. As such several attempts have been made at preserving the art created in protest on the basis of their artistic merit and cultural significance. Increasingly, the erasure of the artwork has been a problem for preservationists. As such, the artworks below represent a fraction of the works created.
Apple Pioneer Place is an Apple Store, a retail outlet of Apple Inc., in downtown Portland, Oregon.
Never Look Away is a mural in Portland, Oregon.
We Stand With You is a 2020 mural of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor by artist Christian Grijalva, installed in Portland, Oregon.
The "Nightmare Elk" was a metal sculpture of an elk, temporarily installed in Portland, Oregon.
Shirien Damra is an American illustrator, designer, artist, and activist. She is known for her illustrations in support of social justice movements including the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, and support of the LGBT community, immigration, Indigenous rights, and Palestine. Her work has had power through viral sharing, and has been noted as a newer form of activism.
Amalfi's Italian Restaurant, also known as Amalfi's Restaurant and Mercato, is an Italian-American restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Nikkolas Smith is an American contemporary artist, illustrator, and activist. He predominantly depicts African-American marginalized voices, as well as social justice in his works. His digital paintings are widely shared on social media and have been featured in Times Square, The Washington Post and The New York Times.
George Floyd was an African American man who was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020. He was memorialized via events, protests, artwork installations, organizations, official designations, and campaigns.