With President Donald Trump using the arms of his administration to target federal money recipients for using public areas and resources for political posturing, things like Montgomery's Black Lives Matter mural could put road and bridge funding in jeopardy.
Trump's administration has taken aim at governments for using public works for political messaging, especially when that messaging is seen as progressive or "woke."
1819 News recently reported on the Black Lives Matter mural around Montgomery's historic Court Square Fountain, which was once the location of a slave market in the antebellum period. The mural was branded as a way to celebrate Juneteenth that year, and Montgomery artist and business owner Michelle Browder and her team did so by encircling the fountain with the words "Black Lives Matter" written in bold, yellow lettering, accompanied by green, red and black decorative flourishes.
A recent article by AL(dot)com highlighted the piece called the mural "temporary," citing Jamie Gonzalez of the events team with the City of Montgomery, who was reported as saying Browder used a temporary paint that will wash away with water.
SEE: Montgomery 'temporary' BLM fountain mural not-so-temporary, artist says
After the painting stood for the fifth consecutive year, 1819 News inquired with the city about its alleged temporary status. City officials stopped responding about the mural's past and future. However, Browder responded to 1819 News, contradicting the reported statement of Gonzales. According to Browder, the initially planned temporary paint would not stick to the surface of the fountain, leading her to use concrete paint instead.
While the apparent reneging of the mural's pledged temporary status left the city seemingly unbothered, the mural's continued existence could endanger the city's future federal funding of road and bridge projects.
At the beginning of July, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy launched a nationwide roadway safety initiative to "prioritize investments that improve mobility and safety on roadways."
In a letter to every governor, Secretary Duffy asked that their states participate in the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Safe Arterials for Everyone through Reliable Operations and Distraction-Reducing Strategies—SAFE ROADS—initiative. The program targets non-freeway arterial roads where more than half of U.S. roadway deaths occur.
Duffy also noted in his letter that roadways, intersections and crosswalks need to be kept free from distractions. This includes political messages of any nature, artwork, or any other content that detracts from the core mission of driver and pedestrian safety.
"Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork. Today, I am calling on governors in every state to ensure that roadways, intersections, and crosswalks are kept free of distractions," Duffy's said. "Far too many Americans die each year to traffic fatalities to take our eye off the ball. USDOT stands ready to help communities across the country make their roads safer and easier to navigate."
Duffy did not explicitly threaten to remove funding for those who decline to follow federal guidance about political messaging. However, his letter was designed to bolster federal funding of high-need areas. With the capital city's fountain located at the center of a roundabout, adjacent to a crosswalk, the Court Square Fountain mural covers more than half of Duffy's criteria for the required lack of distraction.
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