In June, volunteers painted a mural stating "ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER" on Hollywood Boulevard, immediately west of Highland Avenue. The "all" and the colors chosen affirm the lives of the Black transgender, nonbinary, and LGBTQ+ communities.
The mural was initially three lanes tall, and was intended to be removed at the end of the All Black Lives Matter march. The city temporarily preserved the mural by blocking off two lanes of traffic.
Hollywood's three-lanes-tall All Black Lives Matter mural back in June 2020
The letters were and are painted in the colors of the transgender, nonbinary, and gay pride flags
Then, at the urging of City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell, the city decided to preserve the mural for posterity. Well, sort of. Apparently three lanes of traffic is a bit much to dedicate to such a mural, so the city trimmed it down to a single median lane. The city wouldn't want any kind of commemoration to get in the way of drivers getting from one end of the city to the other.
The shrinkage feels symbolic of the way the city and the city council in general, and Mitch O'Farrell in particular, have too often half-assed city projects, especially involving protections for vulnerable constituents. O'Farrell represents one of the most politically progressive areas in the country. Yet he is more likely to be heard giving lip service to progressive policy while perpetuating an unjust status quo.
Especially in the light of the recent attack on three transgender women (very near the street mural site) and ongoing police brutality toward communities of color, O'Farrell and the city need to move beyond the shallowest of commemorations, and take real steps toward ensuring that all Black lives - including transgender ones - are truly protected and uplifted.
All Black Lives Matter is now one lane wide - an unobtrusive median
Hollywood's' shrinking mural doesn't do much to uplift All Black Lives
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