New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
“We created a mural on Union Street and it went up yesterday (02/05). It took us over a year to find a place and property that would allow our work to be done.
Below are some pictures and if you do decide to post could you please post the following:
Growing up my mother always told me you had 3 strikes against you that she couldn’t help, she said I was poor, a woman, and a black woman. As an adult, I have understood what she was meaning many times. The city of New Bedford is not exclusive to racism, racism happens here and all over the world. What people fail to understand is the depths of racism’s nature which is steaming back to 250 years.
Tanisha Ferrer photo.
The policing structure was created, with the roots of the Jim Crow era, the very turning point of which racism was established.
The system is broken, there are cases after cases of a systematic system that is broken and repeatedly harms the community of color. The black community asked for the justice system to stopping kill us and if there was to investigate and provide justice and accountability. And the nation lost it.
This is an issue that is not going away if we continue to run from it, we have to run to it and embrace it and speak on the uncomfortableness and the injustice and see to create an opportunity for change.
With officer accountability, and equal justice is a start of change.
I will leave you with this: being pro-black does not mean you are anti-white. It means that you believe in equal justice and rights, and being pro-human.
Tanisha Ferrer photo.
With this mural, we hope to provoke a conversation that engages with change.
I would like to humbly thank all the artists who submitted their designs:
— All volunteers and supporters of the project;
— Mayor Jon Mitchell and the city of New Bedford;
— Representative Tony Cabral and staff;
— New Bedford Creative, Superflat, Material Creative, YWCA of Southeastern MA and MassDevelopment;
– Sarah from Killburn Mills and Keystone Property.
There was a lot of ‘No,’ ‘Not right now,’ and inquires that went unanswered.
Margo, David, Meredith, Gail, Jeremiah, the artist from the bottom of my heart thank you for guiding me, vouching for me and pushing through to get here, when I say this could have NEVER be accomplished without any of you guys! Thank you.”-Tanisha Ferrer.
Tanisha Ferrer photo.
