MADISON, Wis.–A credit union’s billboard here that was tagged with graffiti is not only not being taken down, it’s being called a “powerful message.”
The billboard by UW Credit union had been erected in response to the coronavirus pandemic with the message “Even When We Stand Apart, We Stand Together.” But the billboard was spray painted with the name “George Floyd” in remembrance of the man who died at the hands of Minneapolis Police, which has set off widespread protests across the country.
The billboard was first erected in March.
Anne Norman, chief marketing officer with UW Credit Union, told NBC 15 when the CU went to switch out the sign, they saw the name had been added beneath the tagline. Workers were “captivated by it and snapped a photo,” Norman told the news outlet. “I was stunned for a number of reasons, but mainly because someone had taken the care to find a message that bridged together a COVID-19 pandemic and a racism pandemic."
Board is Relocated
In response, the billboard has been relocated on top of the Adams Outdoor Advertising building in Madison, near the Rimrock Road exit on the city’s Beltline, which will increase visibility.
"Putting up that billboard shows that we are taking a stance and we are standing in solidarity with the black community," UW Credit Union Collection Specialist LeDaisha Washington told NBC 15.
Adams Outdoor expects the billboard to remain on the building until at least mid-July.
The full report can be found here.