click to enlarge Jeremie ‘bacpac’ Franko’s mural The Price of Black Lives has an ugly addition. Jennifer Goldberg George Floyd’s death in May 2020 by Minneapolis police officers sparked not only a summer of protests against police brutality, particularly against black Americans, but an artistic movement. Murals dedicated to Floyd began popping up across the country in the months that followed, including one in downtown Phoenix on the back wall of a private home, near the corner of Oak Street and 15th Street on Oak Street Alley, a back street filled with murals by some of the best artists the city. It is titled The Price of Black Lives and was created by local artist Jeremie “bacpac” Franko and shows Floyd as the face on a $ 20 bill. Related Stories I Support Local Community Journalism Support the independent voice of Phoenix and help keep the future of the New Times clear. But as the Phoenix New Times recently noted, the mural has got an ugly addition. Big black Xs now caress Floyd’s eyes and mouth, and the word “FENTANYL” is written on his forehead. Last year, an autopsy of Floyd found high levels of fentanyl (a powerful synthetic opioid) in his system. The drug is a hot topic in the Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s trial, which has just begun. Chauvin is charged with second degree murder, third degree murder, and second degree manslaughter. Chauvin’s attorneys argue that Floyd contributed to Floyd’s death and not Chauvin’s knee, which blocked Floyd’s windpipe for almost nine minutes. We asked Franko for a comment and will update it when we hear something.
[ad_2]
