Summer 2020 brought protests and activism to cities worldwide in various forms – including art murals.

In May of that year, George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin, a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chauvin was one of four officers who responded to a call by a store clerk who accused Floyd using of a counterfeit $20 bill.

The result of the encounter lead to the death of Floyd and “I can’t breathe” were his final words.

This incident led to the spawn of rallies and protests across the world supporting Black lives and widely against police-sanctioned violence.

Oakland, California, with a long history of social activism also had its share of rallies and protests. Businesses in Downtown Oakland that are regularly hit by waves of destruction during protests, boarded up their businesses anticipating more broken windows.

Many businesses began to enlist artists and muralists to paint over the wood boards. The trend became popular and soon much of downtown Oakland was both boarded up and covered and art murals.

If you recognize any artists please mention them in the comments below.