RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – Community members from Richmond’s Northside gathered at the Richmond Public Library to discuss a Palestinian mural that has sparked debate over its imagery.
The meeting focused on the role of public art, community input and whether the mural educates more than it harms.
The mural was created by artist Lauren YS, who says the intention behind the mural was simply a message of hope for the Palestinian people and any similarities to harmful imagery are completely unintentional.
Dr. Faedah Totah said the mural resonated with her.
“I saw it and I just stopped right, and I’m like wow, Palestine, and it meant to much for me to see it there because there are all these efforts going on for a 100 years and intensifying right now to just erase Palestinians,” Totah said.
John Mitchell said learning about the imagery changed his perspective.
“What do you mean by intention, intention is history, and so when I learned what it was about it changed everything it turned for me, me personally, 62 years old, it turned into a weapon against the other one,” Mitchell said.
The controversy was never over the “Free Palestine message,” but more about the watermelon imagery. Some African Americans found it offensive because of racist caricatures of Black people eating watermelon that was popularized in order to keep Black farmers down during the Jim Crow era.
Daniela Rountree Green said the mural carries conflicting meanings.
“As an artist I can still look at that mural and see the beauty of it however it still comes with a lot of heart wrenching pain,” Rountree Green said.
The mural is placed in a predominantly Black community that has faced gentrification, food deserts and several changes out of their control.
Some see it as an opportunity to educate on the similarities between Palestinians and Black Americans and highlight the long history of support between the two groups.
One community member said the Palestinian issues mirror Richmond’s history.
“The Palestinian issues, talks exactly about the Richmond issue, redlining, loss of existence … however you read Richmond’s history,” he said.
The discussion started with four panelists, all leaders in the Black community, and most of them were artists. Questions posed included who makes the rules for artists, whether the community should have a say before art goes up, and the importance of race, ethnicity and context when it comes to art.
The owner of the building where the mural was painted, Teresa Sharpe said she will be adding a plaque to give the mural context and she’s partnering with other Palestinian community groups and they’re hosting a teach-in at the mural this Sunday at 3 p.m.
To read more about the history of the watermelon and its connection to Palestine, the long history of support between African Americans and Palestinians, and to read the artist’s full statement click here.
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