CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The video of a police officer killing George Floyd led to marches, calls for reform, and a national conversation about racial inequality.

The City of Charlotte even paid 17 artists to paint a “Black Lives Matter" mural in the heart of Uptown.


For one of those artists, that painting was a moment of triumph but not a moment of change.

BLKMRKT CLT founder and artist Dammit Wesley believes the politicians who will benefit most at the polls from the Black Lives Matter movement are the ones most against those three words.

“I just believe our activity is being used to politicize to scare people,” Wesley said. “To convince a lot of white Americans who have never made contact with a Black person a day in their life that there is something to fear.”

 
 
 
 
 
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I am beyond exhausted, Dehydrated, and My body aches all over. But please believe I would do it all over again. Thank you to @samguzzie & @charlottecentercity for letting curate this experience. I'm so proud of @dakotahaiyanna @2gzandcountin @fk.creative @frankie.zombie_ @matthewclayburn @arko.clt @owl.clt @gardenofjourney @marcus_kiser @jason_woodberry @thekylemosher @chdwck and @kmuiii killing this project. Much love to the homies @puckmcgruff @hookermedia @osirisrain @daflemingo @mikewirth @alxdlrg and @dutchessofink for providing much needed support. Plus a super special s/O to to @hninstagram for being my personal videographer and of course the whole @blkmrktclt team. Today was a dope experience for the city. That being said, in tired. Imma take a nap but for the slow ppl say it with me in all caps, BLACK LIVES MATTER!!!

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According to a poll from the Pew Research Center, during the height of the George Floyd protests (June through September) support for the Black Lives Matter movement dropped more than 10 points.

Only 16% of white, Republican-leaning adults said they supported the movement.