With little public announcement, the words “Black Lives Matter” were painted on a block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, between Lindsay and Houston streets, on Friday and Saturday.
The quick installation of the controversial words caught many Chattanoogans by surprise.
For many Blacks, the slogan reflects unity, inspiration and solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement around the world.
For others, the Black Lives Matter slogan symbolizes divisiveness in an era when they say people of all colors should be coming together to do what’s best for their city, their country and their world.
We wondered how a controversial public art installation, which is what a spokeswoman for the city said the street mural was, became a reality, how easy (or difficult) it is to get such a project approved, and who within the city must be involved.