Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed announced the removal of two art-inspired billboards with the words “Make America Great Again” displayed over a picture of 1965’s Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama.
Two billboards showing President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan with a backdrop of 1965’s Bloody Sunday attack on civil rights protesters in Selma, Alabama, has been removed from Montgomery, Alabama, city officials say.
The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts sponsored the billboards in connection with an upcoming exhibit on the civil rights movement.
Mayor Steven Reed said on the city’s Facebook page that “as soon as I was made aware of the billboard featuring a politicized image of Bloody Sunday, I immediately inquired whether it had been purchased by the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.”
“Upon learning that it was, I requested that the image be removed from all billboards without delay,” he said.
The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment Tuesday.
What was Bloody Sunday?
Bloody Sunday was a violent attack by police and a citizen “posse” on civil rights marchers in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965. More than 15 marchers, who were all trying to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, were hospitalized for injuries inflicted during the racially motivated attack.
“The legacy of Bloody Sunday represents a pivotal moment in our nation’s fight for equality and justice,” Reed said. “We must be extremely mindful of how we use such images of our shared history, especially when they risk being perceived as politically charged. Our history deserves to be treated with the utmost respect and care, ensuring it unites rather than divides us as a community.”
In addition to condemning the billboards, Reed said the city will review how it was even put up in the first place to “ensure that such missteps are not repeated in the future.”
Billboard’s artists call removal a ‘clear act of censorship’
For Freedoms, the New York-based artist-led organization that created the billboards, told ARTNews that “they are dismayed but not surprised by the removal of this artwork.”
“This clear act of censorship underscores the urgency of For Freedoms’ mission to promote free speech and creative expression,” Eric Gottesman, the co-founder of For Freedom, told the outlet. “One of our missions is to be visionary, not reactionary.”
Gottesman explained that the billboard was created nine years ago, in collaboration with civil rights documentarian Spider Martin, who took the photograph used in the billboard showing state troopers facing off against Black protesters. Gottesman said that the billboard “juxtaposes his historic image with a political slogan that we hope will spark conversation, reflection and deeper thinking.
“We can disagree and dislike what others say but still support their rights to express it,” Gottesman said, according to ARTNews. “Part of what makes America great is the freedom to express ourselves, we see this censorship as antithetical to this core freedom and to our mission as an organization.”
USA TODAY attempted to contact For Freedoms through the organization’s social media accounts on Tuesday but has not received a response.
What did the museum say after receiving backlash?
The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts released a statement to AL.com, which said the billboards were put up without the approval of the museum’s leadership.
“Earlier this month two billboards featuring the Museum’s logo appeared,“ the museum’ statement said. ”They juxtaposed a historic photo with a political statement, without context. This has caused confusion and concern.”
