Tensions ease at "Unity Wall" in Lake Worth Beach

Tensions ease at "Unity Wall" in Lake Worth Beach

A section of Lake Worth Beach's freshly restored "Unity Wall" has already gotten a bit of a makeover.

"UNITY WALL" HAS ALREADYGOTTEN A BIT OF A MAKEOVER.WPTV'S T.A.

WALKER SHOWS USWHY THERE WAS A CALL TO CHANGEONE PHRASE PAINTED ON THEMURAL.PKG TA - SCHOOLTEACHER BRENTBLUDWORD AND TEEN VOLUNTEERSFROM LAKE WORTH HIGH SCHOOLBEGAN PAINTING THE UNITY WALLLAST SATURDAY.

THE COMMITTEEAPPROVED WHAT STUDENTSSUBMITTED TO BE DEPICTED ONONE SECTION OF THE WALL.

BRENTBLUDWORTH - "FREDRICK DOUGLAS,MARTIN LUTHER KING, OBAMA, ANDJOHN LEWIS." BRENT - SO THEYHAD ORIGINALLY GAVE ME AMESSAGE THAT SAYS, "ALL LIVESMATTER.

AND IT WASN'T...PERFECT.

WE DIDN'T THINK ITWAS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THWAS CONTROVERSIAL, BUT IWAS." CARMELLE - "THE THOUGHTBEHIND IT WAS JUST INCLUSIVITYAND UNITY." TA - INSTANTLYTHERE WAS A BACKLASH FROM SOMEMEMBERS THE COMMUNITY.

THEPALM BEACH POST REPORTED THATBISHOP MELVIN PINKNEY OF NEWLIFE ZION TEMPLE IN LAKE WORTHBEACH, WHO LED TWO BLACK LIVESMATTER PROTESTS LAST YEAROUTSIDE CITY HALL SAID, "UNTILBLACK LIVES MATTER, HOW AREYOU GOING TO PUT 'ALL LIVESMATTER' UP THERE?" RETHA LOWE(FORMER CITY COMMISSIONER) - IGUESS EVERYBODY WAS CONCERNEDABOUT THE PICTURE I CHOSE TOPUT ON THE WALL AND [THECOMMITTEE] AGREED [TO PAINTIT].

CARMELLE MARCELIN CHAPM- HEALTHIER LAKE WORTH BEACH -"IT IS OFFENSIVE BECAUSE THEPHRASE WAS USED IN THERETALIATION OF THE BLACK LIVESMATTER." TA - SHE SAYS THE"ALL LIVES MATTER" TEXT WASN'TSUPPOSED TO DIVIDE.

CARMELLE -"IT WAS ABOUT A COMMUNITYCOMING TOGETHER.

TA - TENSIONSROSE.

RETHA - "THEY THREATENEDTHE TEACHER WHO PAINTED THEPICTURE." CARMELLE - "[THETEACHER] DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHINGTO DO WITH IT.

HE WAS DOING ITUNDER THE DIRECTION OF THECOMMUNITY." TA - STAND UP -NOW MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITYTHINK THIS WALL'S THEME SHOULDBE UNITY.

BUT THEY DON'T THINKIT SHOULD HAVE THE WORDS"BLACK LIVES MATTER" ON ITEITHER TA - BECAUSE THEY SAY,THAT TOO IS DIVISIVE.

BRENT -"YOU HAVE TO MEET IN THEMIDDLE." RETHA - "WE SAT DOWN,WE TALKED ABOUT IT, I AGREED,TAKE IT DOWN.

WE DON'T WANT TOCAUSE ANY CONFUSION WE WANT TOUNITE US NOT DIVIDE US." TA -SO BRENT HAD AN IDEA.

BRENT -"HEY, THIS DESIGN THAT YOUGAVE ME, I'D LIKE TO CHANGEIT." TA - THE "UNITY WALL" NOWADORNED WITH THE WORD OF ITSNAMESAKE." BRENT - "ITACTUALLY ENDED UP BEING ABETTER DESIGN, A BETTERMESSAGE.

THE MESSAGE GOT LOSTIN THE OLD ONE." TA TAG:ARTIST AND VOLUNTEERS WILLCOME TO THIS WALL FOR THE NEXTSEVEN SATURDAYS TO ADD THEFINISHING TOUCHES TO IT.

YOUCAN SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER ONOUR WEBSITE, WPTV.COM.

IN LAKEWORTH BEACH, T.A.

WALKER WPTVNEWSCHAN