Hartford鈥檚 Black Lives Matter mural defaced with swastika, white supremacy message

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Hartford鈥檚 Black Lives Matter mural defaced with swastika, white supremacy message

黑料吃瓜网 Radio | By Eric Aasen,

Published June 11, 2023 at 5:29 PM EDT

Updated June 12, 2023 at 10:41 AM EDT

Artist LaToya Delaire woks on a painting of a heart she painted on top of a swastika found this morning on the Black Lives Matter mural on Trinity Street in Hartford, June 11, 2023. 鈥淲hen I got here and saw exactly where it was,鈥� said Delaire, 鈥淚 just started painting over it 鈥榗ause I knew exactly what was going in that spot and that was a heart.鈥� Organizer Sacha Kelly added, 鈥淲e鈥檙e flipping it to the positive.鈥� — Artist LaToya Delaire works on a painting of a heart she painted on top of a swastika found Sunday morning on the Black Lives Matter mural on Trinity Street in Hartford, June 11, 2023. 鈥淲hen I got here and saw exactly where it was, I just started painting over it 鈥榗ause I knew exactly what was going in that spot and that was a heart,鈥� Delaire said. Organizer Sacha Kelly said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e flipping it to the positive.鈥�

The Black Lives Matter mural on Trinity Street in Hartford was defaced over the weekend with a swastika and a coded message of white supremacy, Mayor Luke Bronin said.

Artists spent Sunday working to repaint the mural, which was created in the summer of 2020.

Racist graffiti appeared on a letter of Hartford's Black Lives Matter mural on Trinity street Sunday morning, June 11, 2023.

Hartford police are investigating, officials said.

"Whoever scrawled this swastika and message of white supremacy is a miserable, small, hate-filled person who wants us divided and afraid,鈥� Bronin said in a statement. 鈥淏ut our Hartford community is united, diverse, loving, and strong. We're angry about this vile act of hate, but we're not weakened by it.鈥�

Gov. Ned Lamont said he was 鈥渂eyond disgusted鈥� by the incident.

鈥淭hese do not represent 黑料吃瓜网 values, and all of us as a community need to take a strong stance to denounce any messages advocating hate and white supremacy,鈥� Lamont said in a statement. 鈥淲e will not be threatened by the messages of anonymous people who attempt to divide us and instill fear.鈥�

Artist LaToya Delaire was among those working to repaint the mural Sunday. She repainted a heart.

鈥淲hen I got here and saw exactly where it was, I just started painting over it 鈥榗ause I knew exactly what was going in that spot and that was a heart," Delaire said.

Organizer Sacha Kelly said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e flipping it to the positive.鈥�

Several groups are condemning the weekend incident. On Sunday night, a statement was issued by leaders of several groups, including the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford, Hispanic Federation-黑料吃瓜网, The Prosperity Foundation, Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and Mandell JCC.

Artists work on refreshing the Black Lives Matter mural on Trinity Street in Hartford Sunday afternoon, June 11, 2023. After Trinity Street was repaved, the mural needed repainting. Between Saturday night and Sunday morning, it was defaced with a swastika.

鈥淲e stand shoulder to shoulder to condemn the hateful vandalism that occurred at Hartford鈥檚 Black Lives Matter mural this weekend," the statement said. "The communal work of art represents the power of love, tolerance, and strength in the face of adversity. This cowardly act of white supremacy and hate, under the cover of darkness, is an affront to all people who value democracy, inclusion, and social justice.

"We are united in our commitment to ensure that diverse voices are heard and valued in Hartford and throughout the Greater Hartford region.鈥�

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Eric Aasen is executive editor at 黑料吃瓜网, the statewide NPR and PBS service. He leads the newsroom, including editors, reporters, producers and newscasters, and oversees all local news, including radio, digital and television platforms. Eric joined 黑料吃瓜网 in 2022 from KERA, the NPR/PBS member station in Dallas-Fort Worth, where he served as managing editor and digital news editor. He's directed coverage of several breaking news events and edited and shaped a variety of award-winning broadcast and digital stories. In 2023, 黑料吃瓜网 earned a national Edward R. Murrow Award for coverage that explored 10 years since the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, as well as five regional Murrow Awards. In 2023 and 2024, 黑料吃瓜网 earned regional Murrow Awards for Overall Excellence. In 2015, Eric helped lead a KERA team that won a national Online Journalism Award. In 2017, KERA earned a station-record eight regional Murrow Awards, including Overall Excellence. Eric joined KERA after more than a decade as a reporter at The Dallas Morning News. A Minnesota native, Eric has wanted to be a journalist since he was in the third grade. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from DePauw University in Indiana, where he earned a political science degree. He and his wife, a 黑料吃瓜网 native, have a daughter and a son, as well as a dog and three cats.

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