Help repair our vandalized murals

On Thursday morning, a Gideon’s Army Youth leaders arrive to work on the Gid store only to find three walls of the building were defaced. On Wednesday night, November 8th, a mysterious man vandalized the murals on the sides of the building, covering the face of our beloved founder, Rasheedat, with blue spray paint and covering the faces of the other murals in various spray paint colors and completely destroying the art work. One graffiti statement that was left on the building read, “No Army.” He was there for about 10 minutes and left.

About 30 min after that, a group of young women parked in front of the store. They went to a party on 23rd and came back after a few hours of drinking and painted their names, further vandalizing our building. These young women did apologize. They repainted the wall they damaged and have offered to help however we need.

This situation has been particularly hard for the Gid Youth because this is solely their project and they have worked hard over the last few months to interview community members, meet with consultants and artists and rebrand the store. They secured a contractor and pulled up at the store to work with him to finish the inside of the building only get there and see that the outside work had been destroyed. Community members pulled up and grieved with us. Artists pulled up and we all grieved together.

This truly hurts. And we feel unsafe when harm like this happens in our community.

Please donate and share. The funds we raise will help get these fine art murals repaired, including money for the artists. It will help us get the store stocked. It will also help us get kickstarted so that we can pay our youth and get the store opened for good.

The store will include fresh produce, hot food (healthy and comfort food!), corner store items, and free pantry food items for those who need it.

The youth named our little black building “Black-Out North.” There tagline? Peace and Love for the Culture. Black-Out will be a space to eat, hang out, and get groceries. It will also be a space for the youth. Live music for and by our youth. Circles and other events for peace, love, and culture. The inside of the building will feature a youth and community-led mural, directed by Doughjoe.

Cam we please pull together and make this happen for our youth? All Gid youth are violence impacted. They are working to heal from the impacts of violence on their lives while also giving everything they have to bring healing and growth to their community.

Meet the Gid Youth here .

SAVE THE DATE

Gid Community Briefing and Mural Party

Saturday December 2, 2023

10-12:30 Community Briefing and Lunch (TBD)

12:30-4:30 Mural Party at 1625 23rd Ave North

Bundle up and let’s end this year together in peace and love. Please bring non perishables.

Other ways you can help:

1. Become a monthly donor at GideonsArmyTN.org.

2. Come to the briefing, get updated, and join the Dream Team- a team of Gideon’s Army volunteers committed to Peacebuilding.

3. Share and ask your friends to donate to this project and to Gideon’s Army.

4. Bring your favorite table/board game for the youth and families to play at the store.

5. Follow us on FB and IG @GideonsArmyUnited

Stay tuned for more updates.

We won’t stop until the pipeline is dismantled. We will not quit on our children.

#GideonsArmyUnited. #DemGids #WeAllWeGot