Massive Black Lives Matter mural is a symbol of hope and progress, artists say – NJ.com

As nearly 100 people gathered at Manufacturers Village in East Orange for the unveiling of the citys Black Lives Matter mural Sunday, Malcolm Rolling, the projects lead artist, spoke to the crowd about the magnitude of the moment.

I (want) to talk about the liberation of African people and thats normally my theme, when we talk about why we do art, public art and why we put Black faces up everywhere, Rolling said. This is something special.

The mural, nearly 9,000 square feet in size, made its grand debut just a few days after the conclusion of the trial for Derek Chauvin, a Minnesota police officer who was found guilty on all counts of killing George Floyd, an unarmed Black man. The case has reinvigorated the Black Lives Matter movement. The guilty verdict, although an outlier, was seen as a sign of hope and validation for many in the Black community a rare occasion in which a U.S. police officer had been convicted of killing an unarmed Black man.

Nearly two dozen artists, all professionals, turned an empty parking lot on Glenwood Avenue into their canvas, creating one of the more elaborate depictions of the public arts project that has blossomed nationwide. Each letter, a unique painting in and of itself.

Rolling painted the letter M in the word matters. His design is characterized by a deeply personal display of extravagant cherry blossoms drawn inside.

Manufacturers Village Artists unveil 9,000 Square-Foot Black Lives Matter Mural at Manufacturers Village in East Orange, N.J. The letter 'M; was painted by lead artist Malcolm Rolling April, 25, 2021Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Really, its an altar for those who have passed, Rolling said. When we hold vigils, we put flowers and candles down to give praise to those who passed (away) and thats what this is. I chose cherry blossoms because its our state flower.

The unveiling ceremony attended by public officials, the citys police chief and other members of the community was jubilant, a celebration of the East Orange arts community and of what many called progress as a society.

I know I was (watching) CNN everyday, watching that trial... East Orange Mayor Ted Green said. Although...we got justice, we still have a long way to go.

But even as the fight for social justice wages on, there is still positivity in predominately Black communities, like East Orange, a sense that change can happen when people come together, many at the event said.

Manufacturers Village Artists unveil 9,000 Square-Foot Black Lives Matter Mural at Manufacturers Village in East Orange, N.J. April, 25, 2021Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The only reason why I make things, why I paint things, is to be able to see joy on Black peoples faces, including myself, said muralist, Sunah Nash.

On the local police departments involvement in Sundays festivities, Rolling said it was a good start to mending the relationship between police officers and the Black community, but he said there was more work to be done.

I grew up in East Orange at a time when the police were very integral in the development of the youth, Rolling said. They used to fund programming, fund football programs, boxing, karate...they did a lot of stuff with the policing budget that other cities didnt.

The space for the project was provided by the Hubert-Seabury family, which owns the property at Manufacturers Village. Project artists were compensated for their work through crowdfunding donations.

For more information about the mural and to learn more about the artists, click here.

Manufacturers Village Artists unveil 9,000 Square-Foot Black Lives Matter Mural at Manufacturers Village in East Orange, N.J. April, 25, 2021Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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Tennyson Donya may be reached at tcoleman@njadvancemedia.com.

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Massive Black Lives Matter mural is a symbol of hope and progress, artists say - NJ.com