'Black History Matters' mural returns briefly before state crews remove it for second time
Mural repainted days after removal
Just as soon as state crews remove street murals, people are finding ways to replace them. The words "Black History Matters" were once again on the street outside of the Woodson African American History Museum in St. Pete. Genevieve Curtis reports.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Days after state crews removed the "Black History Matters" street mural outside the Woodson African American History Museum in St. Petersburg, the message was back Wednesday. In big, bold white letters, the message was unmistakable.
The original, colorful mural was erased Friday night as part of a statewide initiative ordered by Governor Ron DeSantis to remove street art from public roadways to keep streets clear of "ideologies." During that removal, two pastors were arrested while kneeling in prayer on the mural in protest.
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However, the second "Black History Matters" mural only lasted for a few hours, before crews with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) descended late at night, to repaint the street, once again.
The backstory:
Pastor Ben Atherton-Zeman of the Unitarian Universalist Church spent Friday night in jail after refusing to move from the mural.
"I was hoping to pray all night, I even had a pillow," Atherton-Zeman said. "Unfortunately, we were only allowed to pray for 10 minutes."
PREVIOUS: Pastors arrested for blocking 'Black History Matters' street mural from FDOT crews in St. Pete
He said it was worth going to jail to protect the message.
"We live in a state where books that teach accurate Black history are banned, where teachers who teach accurate Black history are punished," he said. "And now they want to erase a ‘Black History Matters’ mural? This is not about safety, this is about erasure."
The St. Pete Police Department arrested Atherton-Zeman and Pastor Andy Oliver while FDOT crews painted over the mural, sparking outrage among community members.
Big picture view:
On Wednesday, though, the words "Black History Matters" were back, and Atherton-Zeman had to come see it for himself.
READ: Gov. DeSantis doubles down on FDOT order to remove street murals
"I am just so excited to see ‘Black History Matters’ back here where it belongs," he said. "Whoever did this, I am so thankful."
While the identity of the person who repainted the mural remains a mystery, its return sent a clear message of resistance.
The other side:
DeSantis has vowed to prevent murals from reappearing on state roads.
"We’re not doing the commandeering of the roads to put up a messaging," DeSantis said.
In Orlando, a trooper has even been stationed at the Pulse memorial site to stop activists from repainting a rainbow mural there. St. Petersburg police, however, said they are not posting officers to guard the Woodson Museum mural or the site of the former Pride mural on Central Avenue.
Local perspective:
St. Pete city leaders had asked for an exemption to keep six murals in place, including those celebrating Black history and LGBTQ+ pride. The mayor said the city was forced to comply with the state order or risk losing funding.
Atherton-Zeman believes removing the murals only fuels the fight to bring them back.
By Wednesday night at 10 p.m., FDOT crews were back outside the museum, painting over the words for the second time. FOX 13 was there as more than six St. Pete police cruisers blocked off the road for the crews to work.
"The more he paints over our murals, the more they are going to be painted back," he said. "Because, we can’t be erased."
While supporters have offered to donate to help pay the pastors’ legal fees, Atherton-Zeman is asking people to support the museum instead.
The Source: Sources for this reporting include an interview with one of the pastors arrested, video of the arrests, information from the St. Pete PoliceDepartment, comments from Governor Ron DeSantis and on-location reporting from FOX 13.