Downtown Indianapolis 'Black Lives Matter' mural on Indiana Avenue defaced

The "Black Lives Matter" mural created by local artists and activists in Downtown Indianapolis has been defaced.

On Sunday morning, community members woke to the mural along Indiana Avenue covered with splatters of white and gray paint. Residents who contributed to the piece told IndyStar they were informed of the damage overnight, and word of the vandalism spread quickly across social media.

The mural is still legible, but every letter of the piece has been marked with splashes of paint. It remains unclear who caused the damage.

Community members at the scene Sunday morning told IndyStar that the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has been notified of the damage.

IMPD has confirmed that they are investigating, but no additional information was immediately available.

Indy10 Black Lives Matter and other community groups organized a mural painting event on Aug. 1. The event included speakers, live music and spoken word performances.

The Indianapolis City-County Council approved the mural in a resolution against racism, and community organizers chose one Black artist to paint each letter of the mural on the road between the Indianapolis Urban League and the Madam Walker Legacy Center.

In addition to the words "Black Lives Matter," the mural includes the names and faces of Dreasjon Reed, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Taylor and other men and women killed by police.

"The vandalism that occurred is a visual depiction of what hate looks like," according to a group statement from the artists and organizers of the mural. "The message of our art provokes the evils and cowardice that some still refuse to acknowledge, and the vandalism is but one small confirmation that the fight toward justice and equity is far from over."

Rebecca Robinson, the artist who painted the letter "L" in the mural, said she found out about the damage around 3 a.m. Sunday.

She said she woke to an email that just said, "It's starting already."

"And I saw pictures, and the first thought I had was to just come down here and see it for myself and see what's going on," she said. "And also to see if there's any type of security cameras or something."

Mali Jeffers, an organizer of the mural painting event, told IndyStar that painting the mural on that street was intentional.

For Indy’s Black community, the avenue was the center of Black life in Indianapolis during segregation. Jazz music spilled from clubs, where cabarets, burlesque shows and drag performances also attracted crowds.

The street was also home to shops, restaurants, doctor’s offices and shoe-shine stands.

Many local historians point to the 1960s as the beginning of the end for the area due to urban renewal projects and the construction of I-65. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis also expanded onto Indiana Avenue and now sits in what was once a Black neighborhood.

The area was dealt its final blows in the 1970s and '80s when the city began bulldozing its historic buildings to raise skyscrapers.

On Thursday, Jeffers announced on Facebook that mural would be open to the public and closed to vehicular traffic through Labor Day.

The intention was to keep both the art and residents heading to Indiana Avenue to view it safe.

"Once again, art is the beautiful backdrop and springboard for our country’s largest and most critical conversations, especially those focused on this movement," finished the statement from artists and organizers. "Thank you for the support and know that we remain proud to do our part in this fight."

IndyStar Pulliam Fellow Christine Fernando contributed to this story.

Call IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack at 317-444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.