11/27/2023
Powerful murals engage, and often challenge viewers. While working on this podcast I realized that art is a form of resistance that provides a voice to the voiceless. It demands to be seen and heard, which in some cases isn't always welcomed.
In this Last Episode of Off The Walls I had an opportunity to investigate Denver's MISSING murals. Murals from one of the most significant movements in our nations history, the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020. For a time it seemed like Denver's Black Lives Matter movement was of utmost importance to Denver's outraged citizens. In the midst of a global pandemic Denver took a long hard look at itself. The community raised its voice demanding justice and police reform after the murder of George Floyd and the outcry for justice for Elijah McClain's murder. The City even commissioned a temporary Black Lives Matter Mural, but then something happened. The outrage began to fizzle out, and the murals of the icons and victims of the movement were defaced and covered. After speaking with Lindsay Minter (Black Lives Matter organizer) she shared the story of the BLM movement in Denver and how it seems like Denver would rather forget about it. Me and the team tracked down the mural artist Adri Norris who painted the temporary mural to ask her exactly what happened.
This is a story that may elicit an emotional response, but more importantly it will challenge you to reexamine your own commitments to equity, justice, and the preservation of human life. In this episode we track the Black lives matter movement from 2020 to today, 2023. Together we'll take a look at what we learned, where we failed and the new developments that are bringing new hope to the BIPOC communities in Denver.
You can find a link to the episode in the comments.