MONROE, La. – Bayou Park is the setting for the unveiling of the Black Lives Matter public artwork at 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 25. In case of rain, the unveiling will be at the library overhang and later moved to Bayou Park.
The 16 letters stand individually to spell Black Lives Matter. Each 4-by-8-foot painted letter is a different artist’s interpretation of the BLM social justice movement.
ULM Assistant Professor of Art Brooke Foy is one of four area artists who spearheaded the project, which she said is an initiative “ … to lay the groundwork for community dialogues focusing on diversity, education, and access to resources. Each letter was designed and executed by a team of artists and was led by a local Black artist.”
Foy joined artists Rodrecas Davis, Vitus Shell, and KShana Hall Davis of the Black Creatives Circle of North Louisiana, and a team of volunteers, including ULM students and alumni, to design, construct, and paint the letters. The project was done at Richwood Community Center in the fall.
Arrangements and support for the installation at ULM are led by ULM President Ronald Berry, D.B.A, Office for Student Affairs Vice President Valerie Fields, Ph.D., Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Executive Director Pamela Saulsberry, Ph.D., and the new Cultural Diversity Council student organization, advisor Brooke Foy, in Student Life and Leadership.
“Showing the letters at ULM gives the Black Creatives Circle, the Cultural Diversity Council, and all students that have felt unfairly treated because of the color of their skin a voice in these times of uncertainty. Partnering with campus organizations like the Cultural Diversity Council and Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, we can work toward ONE ULM & ONE ROE,” said Foy.
