A sign is a start, but it's not real change

A sign declaring “Black Lives Matter” is coming to McClatchy Park in Oak Park. On March 3, Sacramento City Council voted unanimously to approve a temporary installation of the sign on city property. The original sign was placed in Curtis Park by local advocate Zach Trowbridge. It contains the names of 347 Black people killed by police. The creator of the sign said he will sadly have to add more names as the list has gotten longer since he first created the sign.

The new sign was supported by the Oak Park Neighborhood Association and said in a letter of support

As tension has grown throughout the nation, it is more important than ever to unequivocally denounce white supremacy and support the safety and security of all community members.

A sign is a start, but let's be real. It's not real change.

In an article in a Sacramento Bee article, Anti Police Terror Project co-founder Asante-waa Boykin stated:

The folks that need to understand black lives matter are not Black. So many of us know acutely the names of the people who were murdered.

As Tanya Faison said to ABC 10,

“This is a beautiful gesture, and it’s going to look beautiful in this park but it’s not change. So, therefore, it’s not a win.”

On KCRA 3 Gracie Phillips, president of the Oak Park Neighborhood Association, agreed that

the sign was "not the answer," but "just the beginning" and cited the need for an increase in non-police responses for mental health crises and investment in more community-based programs.