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BLM Visibility Project
BLM Visibility Project
Black Lives Matter is a movement, not a moment.
That movement is a call for all of us to stand together for racial equity — for racial justice across our community.
We are honored to display these powerful artistic statements throughout Metro and the communities that are part of our regional mobility system. But we acknowledge that it’s just a start — at Metro and in all of America. For us to make things right, we need to fully reconcile what’s gone wrong and what’s still not working.
This is the start of a conversation we look forward to having with everyone in our community.
Project background
George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery.
There are far too many other names, too, in recent memory and throughout our history. All of them are part of a tragic narrative: African Americans who lost their lives in large part because of the institutional racism deeply rooted in our country.
As people from around the world marched in the streets to call for change, we in King County were reminded of our obligation to recognize and address the systemic problems that our African American — and all of our BIPOC communities — face daily.
King County is named after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of America’s most prominent civil and human rights leaders. As a department of King County, Metro embraces our namesake and is committed to changing systems of oppression.
As part of our work we asked the talented employees of Metro to show us what “Black Lives Matter” meant to them. In 2020, Metro unveiled employee artwork in response to the murder of George Floyd and other Black Americans, which included a bus wrap, an exterior bus card, and worksite art.
Robert L. Horton
Artist and Transit Operator
Robert’s design can be viewed on two 60-foot Metro coaches, which have been fully wrapped with his art and travel across our transit system.
With this project, Robert wanted to not only pay homage to the victims and the people who are affected, but also to add a narrative—a connection—as far as what is going on so people can grasp what the black community has been going through for many years.
If you read the American history, there are thousands of stories that have been omitted, or taken out, or not been told at all. And new information is coming out about our culture and about our American culture ... We are woven into the fabric of history.
Sandra Padilla
Artist and Transit Operator
Sandra Padilla’s work features images of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Aiyana Jones, who was just 7 years old when she was killed during a police raid in 2010. Their faces are visible on the outside of 200 Metro coaches.
Handwritten text is overlaid on their portraits, memorializing their last actions and words. Behind them is the fist of solidarity with the names of the countless lives that have been taken—many of them John or Jane Does—representing the unknown names that were never publicized in the news. They live on through the Black Lives Matter movement.
All the events, tragedies, and protests were both very inspiring and eye-opening, especially what happened to George Floyd. As America, we all watched him be killed. The whole world saw it. However, despite all the terrible tragedies and lives lost, I was very inspired by the solidarity, the unity, and the love.
Juan G. Hood III
Artist and Transit Custodian II
Family is the focus of the designs created by Juan from Metro’s Facilities division. His work is part of a poster display across all Metro worksites county-wide.
We're here.
See me, see us.
We're here.
That's what I want to get across.
There's no silence here.
Looking ahead
We are honored to display these powerful artistic statements throughout Metro and the communities that are part of our regional mobility system. But we acknowledge that it’s just a start — at Metro and in all of America.
For us to make things right, we need to fully reconcile what’s gone wrong and what’s still not working. This is the start of a conversation we look forward to having with everyone in our community.
Metro is committed to launching annual art initiatives that highlight and bring visibility to communities where needs are greatest. Our hope is that this artwork can provide a starting point for healing, connection, and meaningful conversations that foster empathy and inspire positive change.