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Editor's Note: Makayla Smith, was one of numerous artists, who painted murals in Columbus, Ohio during the protests last summer.
Makayla Smith, known as MBX, is an artist based in Columbus, Ohio. She is currently studying Economics at the Ohio State University
HISTORIANSPEAKS: Could you begin by telling our readers a little about yourself and how you became interested in art and specifically, mural painting?
SMITH: My name is Makayla Smith. My artist name is MBX. I am currently studying economics at Ohio State. I enjoy reading, traveling, and living life. As a child I used to draw and paint; however, I joined my school orchestra later the basketball team and stopped painting. It really was not until my freshman year—at Howard University—I began painting more seriously. I was painting in the valley and someone asked me if I could do a painting for them. This encounter became the first of my many commissioned pieces. As for mural painting, the current mural under discussion is the first one I have ever done. Hopefully, it is the first of many!
HISTORIANSPEAKS: Can you tell us about the mural’s location (Gay and High) in Downtown Columbus, Ohio and how you selected the space where the mural appears?
SMITH: Veritas, the restaurant where my mural resides, was actively seeking to commission artists to paint the boards surrounding their restaurant. I found out about the opportunity through an OSU group chat.
As for the specific board, I arrived after most of the boards had been chosen. I chose the largest blank space and began creating.
HISTORIANSPEAKS: Protest art has been a staple of freedom movements in the United States and around the world. What was the inspiration for the mural you painted? Does it have a title? What are some of the messages you hope the public will take away from your work?
SMITH: “Never Stop” is the title of the mural. Honestly, I wanted to memorialize this moment in time. It is not the first time we have been in this predicament. And often I feel the fire dies out—not within us, but in our fight. At the end of the day, it takes a toll on us as individuals. It is frustrating to constantly have this occur--where we hear another name, see another video, and wait for charges that will never be filed. It is extremely disheartening to see another Black life disregarded and by people who are supposed to protect us and our peers. Recently, I have seen the resilience and dedication in national protests, and I like to see us keep that energy. We must never stop until we get justice for the families who have lost their loved ones. Although we have had seen legislation enacted that will hopefully reduce police brutality and hold officers accountable, we still have work to do in eradicating racism on the systematic, institutional, and interpersonal levels.
HISTORIANSPEAKS: I notice that your mural has both national and local references. Can you talk about your inclusion of victims of police brutality, such as Trayvon Martin, Philando Castile and Kendrick Johnson as well as Tamir Rice and Tyre King? Could you tell our readers more about Tamir Rice and Tyre King?
SMITH: In my mural I wanted to reference specifically local cases of police brutality and Black women murdered by police. I chose to include Philando Castile because a component of his case included possession of a weapon. Castile notified the officer that he had a weapon and was licensed to carry. Nonetheless, the officer still killed him claiming he was reaching for his weapon. My point is often our white peers love to push the narrative that all we, Black people, need to do is to follow the law and officer directives and all will be well. Castile is a clear case that even when obeying the law, it does not guarantee our safety or our lives. I want to also emphasize it is not a Black individual’s responsibility to make sure law enforcement feel safe or comfortable in their interactions with Black people. If police officers are intimidated by Black people, they should not be in law enforcement at all.
Moving on to my inclusion of Trayvon Martin and Kendrick Johnson in the mural. Although the Trayvon Martin and Kendrick Johnson murders were not cases of police brutality, I included their names because they were killed by white peers. In addition, Trayvon Martin’s killing occurred when I was in high school and I still remember feeling the disbelief and rage in the fact that his murderer could walk free. It has been nine years and I can still feel the anger. Ending police brutality is not our only goal in our fight for justice. The sanctioned murder of Black people by our white peers is also an issue. Kendrick Johnson’s case is another situation of a Black life being taken without any accountability. The investigation of Johnson’s death included evidence analysis and conclusions that did not make sense. There were contradictory autopsies performed, missing video footage, missing organs, and the police doing their best to keep the family from being involved and informed. If you are not familiar with Johnson’s case, I ask that you take some time and research it because there is so much to mention, and I cannot cover it here.
As for the inclusion of Tamir Rice and Tyre King in the mural, I chose to include their names because they were only children. Tamir Rice was 12 years old and Tyre King only 13 years old when they were murdered. In both cases, the officers were found not guilty. If you are not familiar, these cases are remarkably similar in that they were both Black boys playing with toy guns. When officers arrived on scene, they killed them working on the mistaken assumption the guns were real. In Tamir’s case, Officer Timothy Loehmann fired his gun within seconds of arriving on scene. The blatant disregard of a child’s life is so despicable. They do not get to explore life because an individual, who claims to uphold the law, did not value their life.
HISTORIANSPEAKS: Another incredibly significant aspect of your mural is the inclusion of Black women murdered by officers. #SayHerName has become an important hashtag to highlight the lack of attention to Black women and tendency to focus on Black male victims to the exclusion of Black female victims of police brutality. Could you tell us about the inclusion of Sandra Bland, Korryn Gaines, Pamela Turner, Shantel Davis, Atatiana Jefferson, and Aiyana Taylor. Could you talk about some of these lesser-known cases and why they are important in your mural?
SMITH: I included black women who have been victims of police brutality, because often their stories are often ignored within and outside of the black community. All too often, police brutality is viewed as an issue affecting only Black men. When this narrative is promoted, it ignores the many Black women who have suffered from police brutality.
I included Sandra Bland, as she should not have been arrested in the first place. Her arrest occurred because she challenged an officer’s authority. The investigation of the arresting officer uncovered that his department withheld key information. It speaks volumes in these cases of brutality when police departments withhold information from the public.
As for including Atatiana Jefferson, she was fatally shot by ex-officer Aaron Dean. A little about her story, she was watching her 8-year-old nephew, when Aaron Dean shot her after peering through their window. Not only did Dean not identify himself, but claimed Atatiana went to her purse for a weapon as his defense. However, she did what anyone would have done in the situation especially if they thought an intruder was trying to break in. Luckily, bodycam footage clearly showed Dean did not identify himself as he and another officer entered through the backyard. Dean was indicted in December 2019 on murder charges. He is still awaiting trial, which is scheduled for August 2021. It is sad to say this situation was avoidable. Based on Dean’s first interview in 2017, he wanted to serve the public and liked "the action and adventure" that came with being an officer. Dean also said he had "no problem" using lethal force if necessary.” I believe that someone who is eager or prepared to use force against others should not be employed as an officer.
Honestly, we would be here all day if I touched on my inclusion of each name, but I want to make sure I end by sharing the story of Aiyana Jones. So, I made a mistake in my mural, Aiyana Taylor is Aiyana Jones. I mixed up her last name with Breonna Taylor’s because their stories have many similarities. Aiyana Jones was only 7 when the local SWAT team threw a flashbang through the window. The noise caused by the flashbang caused officers to believe they were being fired upon and they fired into the home killing Jones instantly. Not unlike the Taylor case, the suspect the police were looking for stayed in the unit above Jones, and police targeted the wrong home. Another similarity is how police instinctively tried to shift blame from the officers involved to the Jones family. Police said the grandmother slapped the gun in the officer’s hand causing it to discharge. Jones’ grandmother disputed this explanation as she was on the other side of the room. Officers enter homes recklessly, disregard the life of Black people and when an individual dies the response is akin to, “Oops, I guess we f-- up.” In most of these cases, the officers go unpunished. How is it your job is to arrest and hold murderers accountable, but when officers themselves are the murderers their department does everything, they can to protect them. In case after case, law enforcement in this country prove they are not trustworthy, and they do not value Black lives. Their ranks are filled with bullies and people who value themselves and their station in life over protecting the public. They only serve to uphold and keep the systems that oppress Black and non-Black individuals in place. To be completely honest, our society has changed, and the law enforcement does not reflect those changes. What purpose do the police really have in our society today?
HISTORIANSPEAKS: In closing, what messages do you want viewers of your mural and those reading this interview to take away from your art and description of your work?
SMITH: I just want to commend everyone for their efforts and hope they do not let the state of our society discourage them in our fight for justice. I also want them to investigate the individuals I mentioned in the interview. It is important to know and share their stories.