In John Balentine’s July 8 column (“BLM mural sends the wrong message”) dismissing the proposed BLM mural on Portland’s Congress Street, he made a number of egregious errors that displayed a clear lack of understanding of the message behind the currrent movement. Here are a few examples to help him realize that maybe the “garish and obnoxious, blindingly bright yellow, block-lettered” mural he’s envisioning isn’t so offensive after all.
Firstly, Balentine seems to believe that racism doesn’t exist in Portland. Wrong. As has been brought to light by activists, journalists and academics across the city, racism is very much alive in Portland – and everywhere else in our nation. Perhaps reading literally anything credible on racism and whiteness will help explicate this foundational hurdle we all should have crossed a long time ago.
Next, Balentine writes as if he is afraid that a mural will reflect badly on the city, and that it is the wrong message “to send residents and visitors.” This sounds like an attempt to put a cover on racism and pretend it doesn’t exist. This surely won’t solve the problem. Try again.
Balentine and I do agree on one thing, however: a mural doesn’t solve our problems. Yet this is not for aesthetic reasons: a symbolic street-painting must spark real political change. It does not take “a strong person” to criticize a mural, but instead someone entirely out of touch with what our Black neighbors experience on a daily basis.
Instead of placing the burden on Black Americans who should “convince their fellow Blacks to stop killing each other” (seriously?), perhaps we should open our eyes to the systemic racism that disproportionately keeps Black Americans impoverished and oppressed everywhere in our society. Yes, even in the “peace-loving, live-and-let-live” haven of Portland, Maine.
Jacob Morrow-Spitzer
Portland
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