The same Target that was gutted by looting and arson last summer as riots raged in Minneapolis over the death of George Floyd now displays art on the side of its building celebrating Black Lives Matter themes including a burning building.
“Created by five young Black artists in a remarkable partnership between the multibillion-dollar retail chain and a resourceful North Side nonprofit, Juxtaposition Arts, the work reflects how George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police galvanized artists to think anew about the roles they can play in effecting social change,” the Star Tribune wrote in a feature of the project in December.
The mural on the side of the once-ransacked Lake Street Target shows a myriad of panels spelling out “We Stand Together, We Build Together” using depictions of Floyd, black people, and the riots that ravaged the city less than a year ago. One panel features a group of people wearing hoods and masks holding up a sign that says “I can’t breathe” in front of what appears to be a building on fire.
Journalist Michael Tracey tweeted a photo of the mural.
I honestly didn’t notice at first that the mural on the left depicts a burning building — presumably the Third Police Precinct building, which was besieged and burned last year. It’s right across the street https://t.co/bXzOslc6aY
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) April 27, 2021
The artists who designed the individuals panels for the Target mural were hand-picked by Juxtaposition Arts, an organization that often boosts Black Lives Matter and “racial justice” initiatives around the city. It is unclear which burning building the artist who designed the mural intended for it to represent but the artwork is currently displayed right across the street from the city’s Third Police Precinct which burned in May after rioters forced their way inside the vandalized building and “ignited several fires.”
This particular Target also fell victim to the rioting, looting, and other destruction that kicked off the summer of rage, but that didn’t stop the store from commissioning the mural as part of its efforts to “rethink and reshape our Lake Street store to better serve the local community.”
“The overhaul forms part of what executives at Target, a retailer long associated with White suburban shoppers, describe as an effort to improve its image with Black customers,” Bloomberg reported.
The company also joined thousands of other businesses who rushed to promise dollars to causes “advancing social justice.” Target corporate alone pledged at least $10 million to signal its support for the black community.
“Target stands with Black families, communities, and team members. As we face an inflection point in Minneapolis and across the country, we’re listening to our team, guests and communities, committed to using our size, scale and resources to help heal and create lasting change,” said Target CEO and Chairman Brian Cornell in June 2020.
Neither Target nor Juxtaposition Arts immediately responded to The Federalist’s request for comment.
Source: The Federalist
