Those in the capital city with an observant eye may have noticed this past "Juneteenth" that the "temporary" Black Lives Matter mural around Montgomery's historic Court Square Fountain still remains for the fifth year in a row.
In June 2020, then-newly-elected Mayor Steven Reed announced that a local artist would decorate the historic landmark with a painted mural encircling the fountain.
The Court Square Fountain was once the location of a slave market in the antebellum period, and the mural was touted as a way to celebrate Juneteenth that year.
Montgomery artist and business owner Michelle Browder and her team commemorated the holiday by encircling the fountain with the words "Black Lives Matter" written in bold, yellow lettering, accompanied by green, red and black decorative flourishes.
A 2020 article by AL(dot)Com highlighting the piece called the mural "temporary," citing Jamie Gonzalez of the events team with the city of Montgomery.
"Jamie Gonzalez of the events team with the city of Montgomery said the artists used a temporary paint that will wash away with water," the outlet wrote. "Gonzalez said the city will pressure clean the walkway once the mural begins to fade or chip."
After the allegedly temporary mural still stood for the fifth year in a row, 1819 News asked Reed's office if the city planned to follow through with the promise to wash away the mural or if it had been repainted.
Reed's office initially requested a reference stating that the city claimed the mural was temporary. After it was provided to them by 1819 News, an official from the office promised an answer to 1819 News' questions. After not receiving an answer for nearly a week, 1819 News inquired again and was met with silence once more.
1819 News contacted Browder, asking if the mural had been repaired or repainted since 2020.
"No, the mural was painted with concrete paint," Browder responded. "It will not fade unless the Mayor commissions city workers to remove it. So far, so good!"
She continued, "The paint was suppose to be tempura[sic] but it did not adhere to the concrete. So instead of wasting time I selected a paint that would look better when applying. One thing for certain the city didn't pay for it. The stain of lives bought sold and traded there has lasted over 100 years. Five years of words still wont do the space justice but it helps. So glade you're interested in it's relevance."
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