Graffiti Gang
The nighttime graffiti artists tagged the brick building
with a multi-colored message of hate. Morning commuters hardly scanned the new
addition as they walked to work.
Only the city workers faced the chore of
removing another reminder of community discord.
But as they set out to scrub the blight, a
young man approached with an offer. The city workers shrugged and set off to
another graffiti-removal location.
The man sat back and stared at the words
woven into graphic violence—adorning an otherwise bleak brick building. He
returned with paint cans, brushes, and a ladder.
It took some time to single-handedly transform the vulgar
into a vision of peace. But the commuters took note.
So did the city workers. A
reporter snapped a picture and soon the city residents became aware of how some
hateful graffiti became a place to express hope.
Artists now take turns drawing
messages that bring a vision of good possibilities.