Pullman City Council decides against Black Lives Matter message in anti-racist mural

Pullman is moving forward with a series of anti-racism art panels after scrapping a plan for a Black Lives Matter mural.

In a series of several votes that were mostly unanimous, the Pullman City Council set a new direction Tuesday for an art project intended to raise awareness about racism in the community. The project will now include a series of art panels displayed on a retaining wall on Spring Street. The panels will be designed by local artists, and a new panel will be added each year starting this summer.

The City Council’s hesitancy to embrace “Black Lives Matter” as part of the mural has sparked controversy in the community and was partly what led about half of the Pullman Arts Commission to resign last month.

Councilman Al Sorensen said he’s “against racism 100% ” but said he’s concerned that the project won’t reflect the feelings of the majority of the community.

“This isn’t just about Black lives,” Sorensen said. “This is about representing all communities.”

Councilman Brandon Chapman pushed back. He said it’s supposed to make people uncomfortable and force them to confront the issue of racism.

“The whole point of this is that a small group is saying, ‘Hey we’ve been marginalized.’ When there’s a small group, that’s where the injustice happens,” he said.

The previous plan was for a large mural downtown. A mural design that read “End Racism Now – Black Lives Matter” was approved by the Pullman Arts Commission. When presented with the recommendation in February, council members instead chose to scrap the proposal. They argued that a design selection process confused and frustrated residents.

The decision to start from scratch led half of the members of the Arts Commission to resign. They accused some on the City Council of stalling to avoid a vote in favor of Black Lives Matter.

Artists will now submit a list of their qualifications to the city rather than a design. Once selected, the artists will work with the city to develop their panel design. The design parameters will be influenced by feedback from a community survey.

The target date for the completed project is June 19, or Juneteenth, which is celebrated as the end of slavery in the United States.

The new plan was developed by a subcommittee tasked with outlining a clear goal and process for the project. Councilman Dan Records, who led the subcommittee, said the project is not just a piece of art but a statement from the city about its commitment to ending racism. He said the fresh start allows the city to better understand what racism means and looks like to different residents.

“Our community is not all on the same page,” he said. “We, as a city, need to make sure everyone in our community feels welcome here.”