Image source: AMC Action News 5
A civil rights activist who once walked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. has put a new twist on the popular “black lives matter” slogan with a billboard in Memphis, Tenn.
The billboard, which is near the intersection of Airways Boulevard and Park Avenue, reads in white letters on a red background: “Black lives matter. So let’s quit killing each other.”
Fred Davis, who put up the billboard, was the first African American chairman on the Memphis City Council.
Speaking about the billboard, Davis told WMC Action News 5, “We're going to have to wake up. We're going to have to say to ourselves that black lives matter, and we're going to have to refrain from killing each other out of our own frustration.”
This billboard is not Davis’ first foray into controversial billboard signs addressing the black community. In 2013, Davis spearheaded the “mind not behind” movement with a billboard that read, “Show your mind. Not your behind.”
On the billboard, Davis advertises his insurance agency, which is near the billboard. It also provides information for Davis’ website, which is devoted to the "mind not behind" mission.
On Davis’ website, individuals can purchase clothing, bumper stickers, and even CDs related to the “mind not behind” cause.
Speaking to individuals on the street, WMC Action News 5 commented that people did not seem to disagree with the sign.