In August, the Southside Community Center, Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC), and other organizations committed to social justice teamed up to lead the Ithaca community in responding to the racial bigotry and violence that is so alive in our town, country, and world by painting a Black Lives Matter mural at the intersection of State and Plain streets. Many Ithacans gathered together and spent the day together painting, creating a beautiful work of art, and receiving a lot of attention locally. The mural was large and multicolored, with symbols promoting racial equality and justice. Each letter was different, and each detail showed the strong emotions the artists felt when they designed it.
In addition to leading the creation of this beautiful community art project, local organizations like Southside have always been at the forefront of racial justice, doing their part to create a community that accepts and celebrates all. In 1927, The Frances Harper Women’s Club, which was led by a group of Black women, started an organization to help people on the southside of Ithaca, and make them feel heard. This mission, along with the values that the Frances Harper Women’s Club believed in, sparked the founding of the Southside Community Center. Since it was created, Southside has been instrumental in bettering the Ithaca community. GIAC and the other organizations who put this event together also have long histories of helping to improve our community.
Although the mural project received positive attention, some people refused to respect the hard work and profound desire for justice that went into it. On Sunday, October 3, just a few hours after a contentious and hateful “Blue Lives Matter” protest, three men were caught on camera leisurely pouring black paint onto the street and spreading it over the mural, obscuring the enchanting piece of political art that many people had collaborated on. The trio spent ten minutes defacing the piece, as if they did not care about getting caught. After covering about half of it, they walked away. This act, fueled by pure hatred against a social movement that was created to make the world a safer and more equal place, is a perfect example of the selfish, privileged racism that is poisoning humanity.
The response to this hateful act was fast and inspiring. It caused local outrage, and the mural was restored in a matter of hours. People who participated in the weekly Black Lives Matter protests gathered around the defaced mural and put their resources together to show their passion and strength. The energized protesters made it clear that they stand strong against racism and bigotry, and that they will restore the mural as many times as they have to in order to show that hate will never win.
Murals, and other types of public political art, have been created not just in Ithaca, but around the country. This type of commentary and activism is an effective usage of Americans’ First Amendment rights to free speech and expression. It is one of the catalysts that have sparked a national movement and dialogue about racism, and cemented the idea that we desperately need to incite change in both people’s minds and public policy. Currently, one of the most important and culturally impactful political art pieces is the Black Lives Matter street mural in Washington, in front of LaFayette Square. It was commissioned on June 5 of this year, and is located on K Street in downtown D.C. K Street is also where many political lobbyists work and is one of the main political centers of Washington. To have the mayor of our country’s capital commission a work of art that addresses such a pertinent issue, despite not having support from a large number of our national leaders, is a form of peaceful protest emblematic of the magnitude of this movement.
While we have made a lot of progress as a nation and as a city to fight the racial bias and violence we see, we are so far from perfect. Ithaca is often thought of as a very liberal and very inclusive place, or “ten square miles surrounded by reality.” In truth, Ithaca has its fair share of hatred and ignorance, and comprises people of all beliefs and political leanings. After the defacement of the mural, our mayor, Svante Myrick said on Facebook, “What’s not surprising is that while dozens of Ithacans worked in broad daylight and shared community to create the mural—this vandal snuck around in the dark of night.”This exemplifies the shadowy racism that lurks behind the facade of inclusion and positivity. When we treat Ithaca as a perfectly unbiased, inclusive, and open-minded place and do not acknowledge that we are also part of the problem, nothing will get done. Our ignorance blinds us from seeing how we can better our community. We must work together to recognize and overcome our prejudices so Ithaca can truly become a safe and inclusive place for all.