CINCINNATI (WKRC) - History is being drawn in the streets of downtown Cincinnati. A Black Lives Matter mural is underway on Plum Street between Eighth and Ninth streets outside City Hall.
The giant project came together in a matter of days. Organizers said they approached Cincinnati City Council Member Greg Landsman and Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, who agreed it would be a great addition to downtown, last week.
Designs were finalized over the weekend, and on Wednesday the art began after City Council officially allowed the mural.
"We put it here because this is where things happen from a policy standpoint, but this is bigger than policing; this is about changing people's hearts," said Alandes Powell, the organizer of the mural.
The finished mural will feature the designs of 17 black artists from Cincinnati on each letter. The "B" is the work of Brandon Hawkins.
"Especially for us being in Cincinnati, you know, we've always got something to prove. People always think we're behind, but we wanted to show them something different, hit them real hard with a new design -- something the other folks haven't done," said Hawkins.
Several young artists teamed up with Hawkins to make the vision come to life. They are plotting out the letter with chalk, then paint tape and adding in the lettering.
"Obviously, much larger than my typical canvas. So then when you're up close drawing and sketching, but then when you step back you see the imperfections, so you have to go back in," said Sharon Dewon, an artist volunteer on the "B" team.
Inside the letter "B," it will read 'Family Peace.' Each letter will represent a different part of a poem.
"We all need to put our thumbprint on this because we are the streets and we are talking," said E. Barber, an artist volunteer on the "B" team.
When it's finished, the artists hope their creativity sparks tough conversations.
"We do see color, but we should respect color. We should love color. We should love our diversity and just come on and let's make this happen. Let's change each other's hearts for the better and make this place better for our kids. We all want that," said Powell.
The mural will end with an exclamation point created by all the artists, signifying equality. The art is sponsored by several local organizations and a GoFundMe that has raised more than $100,000.
The goal is for the majority of the art to be done by Thursday night with an unveiling planned on Friday, which is Juneteenth.
