Black Lives Matter mural installed on Martin Luther King Avenue in Flint

FLINT, Michigan—A massive Black Lives Matter street mural was painted along Martin Luther King Avenue on June 14, 2020, in Flint, Michigan. With the full backing and support of Mayor Sheldon Neeley, the mural was installed through a cooperative effort between Flint Public Art Project, the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, The What’s Up Downtown Project, and the Flint Downtown Development Authority.

“This community stands united with Black Lives Matter. I am so proud to see so many come together to support justice and equity. Unity is strength. Together we can, and we will, move our community and our nation forward,” Mayor Neeley said.

A special thank you to Sandra Branch, Kady Yelloww, Isaiah Oliver, and Joseph Schipani for their work on this project. The mural is located in the 600 block of MLK.

The mural is a demonstrative public declaration that supports a series of actions taken by the City of Flint since the death of George Floyd:

— The City of Flint declared Black Lives Matter in an official City of Flint resolution.

— The City of Flint passed a resolution to support implementation of a duty to intervene for sworn and unsworn City of Flint Police Department Employees.

— Mayor Neeley began forming a Coalition of Black Mayors to address issues of systemic racism on a statewide level.

— Chief Phil Hart is instituting Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation training for the Flint Police Department.

— The City of Flint passed a resolution to denounce the use of illegal restraint methods and create a zero tolerance policy for their use.

— The City of Flint passed a resolution to declare racism a public health Crisis.

— The City of Flint will draft a new ordinance forbidding bias crime reporting to make it illegal for anyone to report a “crime” because the color of someone’s skin made them nervous.

— Mayor Sheldon Neeley created a Black Lives Matter Advisory Council to the Flint Police Department to ensure those working to address the issues of police brutality have a seat at the table.

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Photo courtesy of April Cook-Hawkins

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