LYNN, MASS. (WHDH) - Painting a Black Lives Matter mural in the city of Lynn was a labor of love for two local teens that turned into a yearlong mission.
“We saw all the other cities doing it and we wondered, Lynn is such a diverse city – we should do it as well,” said 19-year-old Damianny Garrido.
“It took a little bit of hard work, but we were okay with doing that because we knew it was important,” 18-year-old Carlos Prudencio added.
SKY7 HD flew over the scene where their hard work is now displayed outside City Hall and the District Courthouse.
“It’s the most amazing feeling in the world. It really was,” Garrido said.
She and Prudencio said that at first, they faced legal challenges.
“If we wanted to put Black Lives Matter down on the ground, then everybody else would have to. I don’t know like I love unicorns, I love pizza would have to also do it,” Garrido said.
Not willing to give up, they hired lawyers who represented them for free. Shortly after, the city voted in favor of the mural.
The teens created a group, One Lynn, One Love and designed as well as a GoFundMe page to buy supplies for local artists and pay them for their work.
“We were willing to go to the end of the Earth to do it,” Prudencio said.
Over the weekend, more than a hundred volunteers and six artists put their mark on the street, something Garrido and Prudencio say they could not be prouder of.
“To see the community come together, and people stay for 5-7 hours, all day, it was just great,” he said.
“It was very emotional, it was heartwarming. And I would do it all over again if I had too,” she added.
The group of artists took less than 24 hours to paint the mural.
The teens say there may be some more projects in the future but for now, they are concentrating on college in the fall in DC.
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