Artists create Black Lives Matter mural in Berwyn
BERWYN, Ill. - Artists are coming together in Berwyn with a moving mural, honoring the Black Lives Matter movement.
More than 100 Berwyn residents crowded the parking lot outside City Hall for a massive mural sketched in the ground saying, “In Berwyn, Black Lives Matter.”
“It is far beyond all of my expectations,” said resident Ben Henning.
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The masterpiece created by 17 Black and Latino local artists interprets takeaways from a series of community listening sessions.
“It’s like a lot of people have a patriotic feeling about America. I can’t say I feel the same because we were never welcomed when we first came in the first place,” said artist Jasmon Harper.
Residents say Berwyn leaders initially pushed back on the location of the mural, but eventually the mayor approved.
Now that the mural is front and center, folks like Mary Peranteau really want to find solutions. Solutions that may start from within.
“As a middle class white person…I think I need to begin to listen and to observe and be more aware of certain implicit bias that I have in my own mind,” said Peranteau.