GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) - A North Carolina town council rejected a proposal to have a “Black Lives Do Matter” mural painted on a local street, opting instead for a mural which reads “Unite Against Racism.”
Greenville City Councilman William Litchfield used a procedural move on Monday that allowed the six-member council to vote on requiring artists who asked to paint the message to use the words “Unite Against Racism” or not paint at all, The Daily Reflector reports.
Mayor P.J. Connelly cast the tie-breaking vote for the new language. Connelly then broke the tie on a second vote to approve the mural project with the new language.
City Manager Ann Wall, said changes will be needed because city staff will have to rework the spacing of the lettering so it doesn’t interfere with crosswalks and can fit in the two blocks between Washington and Cotanche streets.
Discussions about painting a street mural proclaiming Black Lives Matter began in June after similar street murals were painted in other cities following nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd while in police custody.
Randall Leach, an art teacher at J.H. Rose High School, said the artists were scheduled to begin painting the lettering on Friday.
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