In the months following the wave of police violence against Black people in 2020, national support for the Black Lives Matter movement swelled and then quickly collapsed among white Americans. This trend is reflected in community spaces across the country, where many public Black Lives Matter symbols sprung up and were subsequently defaced, destroyed, or permitted to fade away.
This work documents intentional efforts to remove Black Lives Matter symbols in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Instances depicted in the full series range from the clumsy, ad hoc responses of unknown individuals, to more coordinated efforts. Also included in the series are instances not of deliberate expunging of a Black Lives Matter symbol, but rather the concealment of the symbol as a byproduct of the routine changes in city infrastructure. These cases mirror a shift in attention by policymakers away from addressing the marginalization of Black people in American society.
Backlash explores the evolution of the social meaning of the Black Lives Matter movement. Alongside instances of Black Lives Matter signs and symbols left intact, the work carefully documents the racist backlash against and destruction of public Black Lives Matter symbols. In doing so, the work bears witness to and invites reflection on contemporary anti-Black reaction and its significance in American politics and life.
