The All Black Lives Matter Mural in Hollywood

Ahead of a solidarity march that was planned down Hollywood Boulevard with Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQ community, a two block long mural was painted at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland.

Be sure to see all the photos at the bottom of the post.

The Hollywood Mural is unique among the Black Live Matter street murals in that it contains the word “All” in front of Black Lives Matter, and it’s painted in the color of the rainbow in the tradition of gay pride.

The march occurred on June 14th, which is normally the day of the LA Pride march and festival.  The pride festival was cancelled due to concerns of COVID – yet is was somehow deemed safe to crowd 30,000 people onto Hollywood Boulevard for the All Black Lives Matter march.  This follows an earlier Black Lives Matter march on Hollywood Boulevard with over 50,000 people.

This is not a criticism of either of the marches. Black lives do matter, as do all black lives…. as do all lives.  But the contradictions on what type of event is okay to hold and what is not okay to hold during the coronavirus pandemic is glaringly obvious!

Once the All Black Lives Matter rally was over, city crews began to remove the mural, which was the plan all along.  Then L.A. Councilman Mitch O’Farell ordered the work stopped and introduced a motion to create a permanent space for the mural.

While this was a noble intention, it isn’t practical or aesthetic. Concrete road barricades have been placed around the two block long mural.  This renders the mural invisible to anyone driving on Hollywood Boulevard.  It also takes one of the busiest intersections in Los Angeles and restricts traffic down to one lane in each direction.  As COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed and the Walk of Fame reopens, traffic conditions will become intolerable and tourists will most likely avoid the area.

If you park and get out of your car, you still can’t really view the mural… even if you walk inside the barricades. The letters are simply too big to see what they say unless you have a view from high above.  That is unfortunately hard to come by.  The only high vantage point accessible to the pubic from which to view the mural is the Hollywood Highland Center from the third level. From this vantage point, you can read most of the word “MATTER” but nothing else.

The only practical solution to commemorate the march is to create a new artwork that is small enough to be viewed and not block traffic.  As it is now, the mural will be seen by those passing by as nothing other than another construction zone in Los Angeles.  From you car you can’t see anything else at all.

I do recommend you drive down to Hollywood and take a look at it.  It’s historic and worth it to see it.  Park and walk around it and up into the Hollywood Highland Center where you can get a view.  If they have opened the fourth floor viewing area, you will be able to see most of it (when I went the fourth floor was closed to the public).  Do it soon.  My bet is that the mural won’t be there long.  It simply isn’t practical to leave it there.

See photos after the break…

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