New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced Friday that, in recognition of the city’s black and brown artists, the city has dedicated $7.2 million in bond funding to public art, and has already purchased over 60 pieces of work created by local black artists.
On Friday, just in time for Juneteenth, Cantrell attended the unveiling of the most recent of these sculptures: a giant afro pick with a black power fist on the handle.
As Juneteenth approaches, we celebrated with an unveiling in Lafayette Sq.🖤❤️💚💛
This sculpture is very fitting for this time & place as we celebrate the freedoms that we have gainedWe know that it doesn’t come without struggles, fights, and protests for 200+ years pic.twitter.com/QcwFElDETN
— Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@mayorcantrell) June 17, 2022
https://twitter.com/elliemae0404/status/1537991961440681984
The fuck is this? pic.twitter.com/YsOWUJC1lS
— Trey Felder (@TbirdTr3y_10) June 18, 2022
A hair pick??? pic.twitter.com/D2amKJsUFf
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) June 18, 2022
It's a giant hair pick. 😂
— catie lord (@tudsgrl) June 18, 2022
Holy shit, that's real??? I'm sorry but WTF
— 🍀 Duchess of Luck 🍀 (@AnnaDsays) June 18, 2022
An Afro pick is the best image you could think of to represent the hardships/struggles that African Americans have endured for hundreds of years??? 🤡
— NOLAEagles (@MDP4141GE) June 17, 2022
I saw this and thought surely that it must have been sarcasm.
— Pelican state of mind (@Parisire) June 18, 2022
I look forward to working with the pick to end violence in New Orleans.
— NOLA Peace Pole (@TeedyPeacePole) June 18, 2022
https://twitter.com/Mental_Aikido/status/1538155109296836608
Wait, is this actually real? This isn't a photoshop satire thing? 😳
— Liberty Bear-Man (@BossPlayer5150) June 18, 2022
LMAO I can't believe this actually happened.
— Skid Willie (@SkidWillie) June 18, 2022
This is what happens when you let activists have power. They will tear down traditional American institutions that represent all of us and replace them with a hair pick.
— JasonUTexas (@jasonutexas) June 18, 2022
This is what’s going to replace all of those offensive sculptures that have been taken down.
— Kevin Benoit (@HipTang) June 17, 2022
Great monument to the movie “Spaceballs,” I can guarantee people will chuckle every time they see it.
— Dr. James Russell (@realjimrussell) June 18, 2022
https://twitter.com/valithegod/status/1538029120784723970
I’m glad the artist was black. If a white artist would have presented this they would have said it was racist. Honestly, when I first saw this I was shocked 😳
— Debra Moge-Ultra MAGA (@DebraMoge) June 18, 2022
An Afro pick symbolizes the "freedoms we've gained"?
This is the funniest thing I've seen today.
— NewRoTheo (@porscheFanNYC) June 18, 2022
They put up a giant hair pick in time for Juneteenth but rallied to have the actual Emancipation Monument in Washington, D.C. removed.
Related:
Newark unveils 700 lb. bronze statue of George Floyd in front of city hall; Jason Whitlock weighs in https://t.co/SRJCCto7P3
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 17, 2021
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