FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 17
George Floyd mural unveiled at Jamaica Colosseum Mall
BY JACOB KAYE
jkaye@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A mural dedicated to George Floyd,
whose death at the hands of former
Minneapolis Police Officer Derek
Chauvin in May set off a wave of protests
across the U.S., was unveiled at Jamaica
Colosseum Mall on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Th e portrait of Floyd’s face, painted on
the side of the mall located at 89-02 165
St., also honors a handful of other Black
men, women and children who were
killed by police offi cers across the country,
including Sean Bell, Breonna Taylor,
Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice,
Philando Castile and Amadou Diallo.
Th e mural was created by “partners
in paint,” Shenna Vaughn and William
Bentley, who were both approached by
Th omas Logan, the property manager
of the Jamaica Colosseum Mall, to paint
the mural on the ground fl oor, as well as
a second mural near the top of the parking
garage of the mall.
“My hope is that it inspires,”
Vaughn said. “We’re using art as
our way to do our part and
speak to and reach the community.
If we all use our gift s,
we can make change for the
better.”
Terrance Floyd, the brother
of George Floyd, attended
the unveiling, as did
Councilman Rory
Lancman, members
of Community
Board 12 andKevin
Livingston,
the founder of
the nonprofit
100 Suits for
1oo Men.
“I hope that
the mural
unifies the
community
and inspires
the community
to take
Terrance Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, looks up at a mural of his brother in Jamaica on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
care of each other and
to remember history,”
Bentley said.
Photos by Dean Moses
Th e two Black artists said that even
before the mural was completed, members
of the community would walk by and
share how the act of creating the mural
was already an inspiration.Vaughn said
that at one point, a girl passing by was surprised
to see the duo creating art on the
side of a wall.
“We can do that?” Vaughn said the girl
asked, happily surprised.
“I want everyone else to know that they
have gift s within them, too,” Bentley said.
“It’s a tragic situation but I’ve learned to
take tragedy and do what we can within
our power to make it better. Hopefully the
mural helps us get through this darkness.”
Logan said he hopes the mural gets at
what he see’s as the central message of
Floyd’s tragic death.
“My aim was to keep it simple and
to bring the narrative back to where it
belongs, where the fi ght is,” Logan said.
“It’s not just about George Floyd. He’s the
face of hundreds and hundreds of people
who have lost their lives to racial injustice.”
More of the artists’ work can be viewed
on Instagram at @magichandsmurals.
Additional reporting by Dean Moses.
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