New Salt Lake mural designed to spark conversation about racism

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SALT LAKE CITY — A new mural meant to promote an end to racism and highlight Black community members was unveiled in the Sugar House neighborhood on Thursday.

Last year — when the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked national outrage — Franque Bains looked into ways to start local dialogue.

"I reached out to my community and I said: 'Hey, what can we do at this moment?' And so I was joined with some just amazing friends and amazing leaders, and they joined me, and we decided to train folks to have conversations,'" Bains said.

Utahn Conversations on Anti-Blackness was born, and the group helped prepare hundreds of advocates to speak to others about racism, Bains recalled as she stood in front of the new mural on the street-facing side of the Patagonia Outlet at 2292 Highland Drive.

"In our stores, we like to be gifts to our community, and we're really involved in activism in many different forms," store manager Annie Wilson said.

After Floyd's death in May 2020, the local store "wanted to use our space to kind of be that gift to our community and let voices that aren't normally heard be heard," Wilson said.

After teaming up with Bains and her organization, they commissioned artist Blondine Jean-Packard, who chose to use real images of people within the community, as well as local flowers and mountain ranges. The colorful mural took a year and a half to create.

Some believe we live in a post-racism world, "but the experiences of Black folks say otherwise, and so this is all about how can we create the lasting changes that can be rooted in relationships and connections," Bains said.

"And the hope is for folks to be able to walk by and feel like they see themselves in this mural and see themselves as leaders in our community to create change and safety for Black folks."

The mural features two real parents and their children, two dancers from the Ngoma y'Africa troupe, and other community leaders.

Sugar House is a "great place" to highlight the mural, Bains said. It will likely remain there for several years.

From noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday July 10, Bains and the artist, Jean-Packard, will be at the store showing the mural. Anyone interested can sign up to visit and speak with them both to learn more. Utahn Conversations on Anti-Blackness is also selling prints of the artwork, the proceeds of which will be donated to community groups working to end racism.

More information can be found at utahnconvos.com.