October 18, 2020
Banners That Matter
When the the city of Beloit withdrew its permission to hang Black Lives Matter banners on the Powerhouse bridge, students quickly made a replacement.
After the college’s Black Lives Matter signs were removed, students added their own signs to the Powerhouse Bridge.
In July, the college placed two large Black Lives Matter banners on the Powerhouse footbridge spanning U.S. Highway 51. The college needed permission to post them, which it received from authorities with the city of Beloit.
After citing a new legal opinion in October, the city rescinded that permission. At press time, the college had relocated the banners to the west exterior wall of the Sports Center.
Students responded to the removal by organizing a group that made dozens of small signs out of bright paper. The group assembled the signs and ribbons in the shape of the letters BLM on both sides of the bridge.
