Change of Location for New Mural
The Village of Mamaroneck Board of Trustees agreed to embrace the message of a community group Tuesday evening and accept a “Black Lives Matter” mural as “government speech,” giving official sanction to the project.
In a unanimous vote the Trustees approved a proposed mural as the village’s own, giving the green light to the painting for a stretch of pavement near Columbus Park in the Washingtonville section of the village.
The project was originally proposed by a Washingtonviile neighborhood group that was looking for an alternative to its annual block party which had been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Group spokesman Jarrett Winchester said “It’s about unity. There was no attempt at having disunity on our part.”
The proposal was originally rejected two weeks ago over concerns that it might open a floodgate of requests from other groups wishing to make public pronouncements. More than 200 residents signed on to the virtual meeting and more than 40 spoke over the course of 2 hours making it one the largest attended village government meetings in recent history. “This would be a long overdue show of solidarity with the black community, ” said one speaker who gave her name as Olivia.
Others weren’t so sure. “The message seems to have a negative effect wherever it goes…I’m afraid that we’re going to have rioting and other negativity that’s going to come to the community,” said Harold Pele.
Mayor Tom Murphy said he’d meet with the people who proposed the project to decide the location of the mural. The BLM message was planned to be painted Madison Street near Grand and Old White Plains Road however it was agreed to place it near Columbus Park which is an integral location in the neighborhood. The mayor and village trustees assured taxpayers that only private funds would be used to cover costs of paint and other materials.
The Mamaroneck Village Board of Trustees can be viewed at https://youtu.be/d_uo6LPXr6A
Wow, marxists, no not at all terrorist no not at all ,a life long resident who has volunteered and helped out his village yes and im guilty of being a Liberal too and proudly. Thie Ignorance displayed in these comments only reaffirms my belief in a need for such a mural. Why hasn’t any of you Nattering Naybobs of Negativism reached out to me or my cousin ? We are both available at the ready and willing to discuss this. Mamaroneck has its problems but are good days surely out number our bad days.We have a school system that is defending its self from a lawsuit dealing with pervasive racism, we have a police department that has lost a federal lawsuit for its handling of the minority community to think you live in utopia is to clearly not be paying attention to the goings on in mamaroneck. If any one wants to have a seroius discussion my email is Jalanwinchester@gmail.com. I am willing to listen to any who has a beneficial idea for the the blm movement mural or my people but if you have no track record in criticizing the police for their wrong doings i suggest to shut up and sit down Respectfully.
Kamal Flowers name should be included on the BLM mural. Say his name.
They said it’s a “ Unity thing” well if that’s the case, shouldn’t the mural be ALL LIVES MATTER?!!!!
Wow! Look how many racists read The Loop!
Do you have any positions or ideas of your own to go with that accusation, Stuart? Would appreciate a lively discourse. You’re welcome to react to the factual information provided in my own comment.
I believe the reporting is wrong that a decision on location was made.
The resolution does not state an exact location but the mayor and several trustees suggested that Columbus Park may be a more ideal location. Jarrett Winchester, mural project organizer says, ” Not a definite but we are also leaning that way, because like I said its not meant to be divisive and if we can get more of the community involved, then we think it may be worth it.”
How could you approve this? Mamaroneck is the worst city in Westchester not to mention one of the most expensive. No one can afford to live there unless you have 4 people in a one bedroom apartment or you’re rich. Ps
the BLM group are Marxist racists and using injustice from others to fund their agency and if you don’t see that you’re blind.
Most BLM activist and supporters are not racist and Marxism isn’t a huge boogie- man you think it is.
Marxism only murdered 65 million people. Surely it’s worth trying again. Not a boogieman at all. Let the Marxists design the critical race theory reprogramming we all deserve.
BLM is inherently racist. Openly anti-Semitic marxists.
The tremendous irony of building a mural to black lives in one of the most segregated cities in all of Westchester that fights fiercely every year to keep low-income housing out, with a Black census population of 2.80%. “Not in my backyard” liberals in action.
For anyone unaware, the most recent black lives matter tragedy in the area was June’s police killing of Kamal Flowers, a career felon who tried to kill a New Rochelle police officer with an unlicensed Ruger 9mm handgun, in violation of his parole for an armed hijacking in Mount Vernon.
Black lives matter. We must have a mural on every street to remind us of the plight of those victims like Kamal Flowers. Now if only we had low income housing to welcome them into our town and school district.
What are you smoking ?
I don’t know why this is considered such a win?? They approved it by Columbus park lol that’s hysterical, they need to put in Larchmont.
Oh I forgot not in their backyard huh??