Black Lives Matter Murals
During the time we worked on this project, Portland, like many cities around the world, witnessed an outpouring of protests over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020, as well as the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and the many other unarmed black people who were also killed by police.
Our project took place during these movements, and we decided to document the art and locations of what will surely be seen as a pivotal moment in the history of the United States, capturing the spirit of activism and community in the city of Portland.
The mural in the background is by Damon Smyet (2020).
Custom basemap designed by Russell Park
While Portland is known for its liberal politics, the city and state of Oregon both have a long history of discriminatory practices towards African Americans. Black exclusion laws had been in place since before the state was formed, were not amended until 1926, and not fully ratified until 1973. The 15th Amendment in the US Constitution, which formally granted African American citizens the right to vote in 1870, was not ratified in Oregon until 1959 [1]. In some ways, the civil unrest around the country and world has highlighted this history in Portlanders' contemporary consciousness.
The unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, its effects on our community, and its disproportionate effect on communities of color, lead Portland artists and activists to respond to this moment with some truly one-of-a-kind works of art – some permanent, others set on temporary plywood boards for businesses shuttered by the pandemic.
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[1] https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/07/racist-history-portland/492035/
Tete's Story
In Portland, the current racial justice movement has renewed interest in the case of Tete Gulley. Tete was a homeless Black Trans Woman whose death in May 2019 was ruled a suicide, despite witnesses who saw her murdered and say that her boyfriend boasted openly about killing her [2].
Tete’s family and friends have continued to disagree with the ruling of suicide and have tried to raise awareness of her case. A full year later, Portlanders are learning Tete’s full story and demanding that local police provide more information regarding Tete’s death, as well as investigations into recent similar hangings of Black people in the US [3]. Portlander’s have signed petitions, provided support to her family, and – due to sudden abundance of covered windows – painted murals in her honor.
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[2] https://www.out.com/transgender/2020/6/22/over-600000-deman
d-answers-death-tete-gulley-black-trans-woman
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/19/us/hanging-deaths-california.html
https://www.democracynow.org/2020/6/22/us_public_hangings_lynching_history