Artists paint ‘Black Lives Matter’ mural on East 93rd Street in Cleveland

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Saturday morning, dozens of artists gathered to create a mural on E. 93rd Street in Cleveland, using the pavement as their canvas.

They painted Black Lives Matter on East 93rd Street and Bessemer Avenue.

“Every letter has different artists and students and collaborations to do their own design so it’s gonna be fully creative, no boundaries other than everything is gonna be positive but as far as no pre-approved type of concept,” said Stamy Paul, founder of Graffiti Heart.

She partnered with Ricky Smith, founder of R.A.K.E. (Random Acts of Kindness Everywhere) to make the project possible

He told 19 News they organized the effort in just 48 hours and says this is a form of activism.

“The whole thing behind Black Lives Matter at the end of the day is just having our voices heard,” he said. “And I think right now is a great time, I don’t know if it’s because of the virus, I don’t know if it’s because there’s no sports but it seems like we have the ear of the country and the world and it’s like, you know what, let’s bring it home.”

All around the country, Black Lives Matter murals are coloring neighborhoods in cities like Washington DC, Cincinnati, Seattle, Brooklyn, New York, and Hollywood, California.

Now there will be one right here in Cleveland.

Cleveland Councilman of Ward 6, Blaine Griffin says they picked this street for a reason.

“Sometimes neighborhoods like this get left behind,” he said.

Over the years, E. 93rd has made headlines for some of the city’s most notorious crimes including a number of unsolved murders, kidnappings, and rapes.

“A lot of people ask why did we pick this place? And was this the appropriate place to do this? I think was the perfect place to do this. Not just because of the police-involved violence but for the women we lost to say that their lives matter as well,” said Griffin

Neighbors also joined the effort, including several children.

“I just wanted to be included in the bigger story of Black Lives Matter to show that Cleveland is in it too,” said Smith.

Drone video and still photographs provided to 19 News by Round Door Media LLC.

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