Residents of a neighborhood in California came out in support of a three-year-old black girl whose 'Black Lives Matter' murals were washed out daily by a white man. The sidewalks in Concord were covered with 'Black Lives Matter' murals and messages drawn by its residents to show their support to Zhuri and her mother Manette Sharick.
A series of protests under the Black Live Matter campaign rocked the United States following the death of 46-year-old black man George Floyd.
White Man Insisted 'All Lives Matter'
In the incident which took place in late July, the BLM murals written by three-year-old on the sidewalk outside her home in Concord were mysteriously being washed off. The word 'Black' was removed from the messages written by Zhuri.
However, the mystery was solved when Sharick spotted a white man on a bicycle pouring water on her daughter's murals. In the video clip uploaded by Sharick on July 30, she is heard screaming at Jim as he purposefully pours water on the chalk mural. "Racist a**. You are racist and you're on my camera too. And I will call the police. Go! Go!" shouts Sharick.
"You can't make me go. You call the police and I'll stay right here," said Jim as the agitated mother added, "'You come prepared with water bottles so you can erase this everyday. You have that much hatred in your hearts against blacks."
"Yeah, look at our neighborhood, replied Jim adding, "As long as you keep on doing this I'll keep on coming."
Later, speaking to ABC 7, Jim said that he was pouring across the word black because he believes all lives matter. "I don't care what nationality, sexual orientation or any of that, we are all human beings," he said.
Speaking to CNN, Sharick said that she wanted to teach her daughter that Black lives matter, Black culture matters, Black communities matter, and that they are the movement for Black lives.
Concord Neighborhood Covered in BLM Murals
Soon after her video went viral, Sharick and her daughter received overwhelming support from her neighborhood. The sidewalks of the area were covered with messages, supporting the BLM campaign, in colored chalks.
Speaking to CNN, Ilana Israel Samuels, a resident of the area, said that she came out to help Sharick after she faced discrimination. "People need to stand with their Black neighbors in support. All lives can't matter until Black lives matter. Right now, Black lives are being harmed, murdered by police, and they are constantly living in fear," she added.
Sharing the colorful murals and messages covering the sidewalks, Sharick wrote: "I am deeply thankful and blessed for the special, unique, amazing people in my life who supported me, uplifted me and comforted me. My family and I are grateful for the help and support we have received from the community."
