The Battle Over Bernal Rock’s “Black Lives Matter” Mural
Thanks to SF Gate for letting us know how a neighborhood battle started over painting ‘Black Lives Matter’ on SF’s Bernal rock.
Bernal Rock is a neighborhood landmark, a community message board that expresses the sentiments of many in the area.
Kseniya Makarova, a San Francisco graphic designer, and artist painted the rock “Black Lives Matter” on June 3rd to mark the event and to reflect the current protests around the country over the killing of George Floyd.
But for five days in a row, someone repeatedly painted over the messages on the famous Bernal Heights rock that started a neighborhood battle.
Rocky Smith, a Bernal Heights resident who took a shift very early Monday morning caught the person in the act. When asked why she was painting over it, the woman said, “It’s time for some pizza, something nonpolitical, I don’t want the politics. I just want to go for a walk and have a nice day.”
Smith said that the intention of the overnight watch was to find out her motivation, not to confront or try to stop the woman. He added that “Besides, no one owns the rock — he says it’s technically her right to paint over it every night and for others to repaint it.”
Makarova hasn’t got the chance to meet the woman, but if she ever comes face-to-face with her, she would ask her: “Do you understand that black people cannot go for a walk or have a nice day any single day of their life? There are so many who think they’re just not being political, but they are not working actively against the system that allows these injustices to happen.”
“This is not about protecting the rock, Take that energy and put it towards other ways to further the cause,” said Makarova. They added QR codes to direct donations to @cityofdreamssf and @campaignzero, you may also donate to @poder.sf @baycat, @new_door_ventures and @glidesf.
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