On July 14, a giant street mural in support of the Black Lives Matter movement took shape in on Montreal's rue Sainte-Catherine in the Village. Reading "La Vie Des Noir.e.s Compte," the mural was put together through a partnership between the City of Montreal and Fondation Dynastie, an organization that celebrates BIPOC voices in the city. The mural stretches 100 metres between rues Saint-Hubert and Saint-André and was painted by close to 20 local artists.
"For several years now, the Black Lives Matter movement has raised awareness of racism and discrimination experienced by our fellow citizens from Black communities, all while fighting for social justice," said Mayor Valérie Plante in an official statement shared with MTL Blog.
"By supporting the creation of this piece, the City of Montreal wishes to express its solidarity with the movement and join its voice in declaring loud and clear that Black lives matter."
The mayor also reaffirmed the city's commitment to combatting systemic racism to make "Montreal a city where all its citizens can live in dignity and reach their full potential."
"Beyond the symbolism of it, we hope that this project can raise real awareness and bring about true social change in the fight against systemic racism," added Marhilan Lopez of Black Lives Matter Montreal.
City officials confirmed with MTL Blog that the mural will be up "until the end of summer."
Fondation Dynastie will be responsible for maintaining the mural throughout these next few months.
"We wanted to express our solidarity against racism and inequality by uniting our voices across borders through the power of art," said Carla Beauvais, Co-founder of Fondation Dynastie.
"This piece is intended to provide a space for positive conversations and a lasting reminder of the message of social justice that is at the heart of this movement."
Each letter in the mural was painted by a different local artist and represents the voices of Montreal organizations that fight against racial inequality and discrimination.
The LGBTQ+ community is also represented as the word "Compte" is depicted with the colours of pride.
This is the first time ever that a Black Lives Matter street mural appears in French, organizers claim.
The mural still isn't finished, so be sure to check back throughout the week.