LYNN — The planning has been done, and the artists are ready. Now, they’ll get to work beginning July 24 to draw the long-awaited “Black Lives Matter” mural on Essex Street, between Lynn District Court and City Hall.
“I’m super excited,” said Carlos Prudencio, one of the two main forces in getting the mural in Lynn. “I’m grateful that this is all going down. Even though it’s been a year, we’re glad it’s going to happen. And we think it’s the right thing to do.”
The mural was conceived by Prudencio and Damianny Garrido, both recent graduates of Lynn English High School, who, ironically, will also both attend American University in Washington, D.C. in the fall (she will major in public health, he will study international relations). Its journey through the city’s political and governmental system was more arduous than either of them hoped, however, and that angered Ward 6 Councilor Fred Hogan, who has been a consistent supporter of the project.
“Lynn is the city of firsts,” he said, “And this should have been done a long time ago. But we’re all happy. These kids busted their butts to get this done. Now, I look forward to volunteering and putting some paint on the ground.”
At times, Garrido still can’t believe the day is imminent.
“I was kind of nervous at first,” she said. “It seemed too good to be true (after the mural was approved by the City Council). It took so long to get this. Either this didn’t work, or that didn’t work. And just being from a Hispanic culture, sometimes you feel that you have to be careful.”
She admits, however, there were times when the effort to get this mural approved, and have it put where the two wanted it, was draining.
“To be honest, while I never wanted to give up, it took its mental toll. There were times I just needed a mental break,” she said. “But Carlos and I kept thinking ‘let’s do it. Let’s try our best to do it.'”
If there was a low point in the quest to make their dream a reality, Garrido points to an effort considered by the council to create a broader “Diversity Square” section in Central Square, and include the mural there.
“That was aggravating,” Garrido said. “After working so hard on one specific location, they went ‘let’s do this instead.’ Really? It had no meaning there. We explained to them why that location was important.”
It’s important, Prudencio said, “because that’s where the courthouse and City Hall are.”
Hogan said the city needs something like this.
“I was behind these kids 100 percent from day one,” he said. “Now I’m happy to see it passed. You have to give these kids credit. You have to fight, and keep fighting. When things didn’t go as quickly as they could have, they just kept fighting.
“If you want change, if you want positive change, you’ve got to fight,” he said.
Although there were others besides Prudencio and Garrido who helped them realize this goal — among them attorney Bob Goldman — Prudencio prefers to thank the committee as a whole.
“That’s what we are,” he said. “‘One Lynn, One Love.'”
