SHELBURNE FALLS — The Bridge of Flowers Committee installed a new plaque on Thursday, which honors the memory of those who have been victims of racial or ethnic violence, and hate crimes.
The sign, which hangs on a wooden fence near a memorial water feature and stone bench at the entrance garden on the Shelburne side, arrives in time for June 19, or Juneteenth, which marks the 155th anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States.
According to a press release from the Bridge of Flowers Committee, members felt it was appropriate to install the sign as a reminder of how far the nation still has to go to achieve true freedom for black Americans.
Annette Szpila, chair of the Bridge of Flowers Committee, noted the decision to install a sign followed news of a petition that circulated on social media. The petition, which was created on change.org by Bianca Cavanaugh-Green, sought to remove a bench designed by a local artist, John Sendelbach, who disrupted a June 6 protest in solidarity with Black Lives Matter on the Iron Bridge.
“We wanted to honor the anti-racism spirit of the petition and began looking for appropriate ways the bridge might reinforce that ideal, without damaging the peaceful atmosphere of the gardens,” Szpila explained.
According to the release, the committee contacted Cavanaugh-Green and several others involved in the protest seeking a way to help communicate the anti-racism message of the petition.
“We considered looking for artwork done by a black artist, and we are still interested in that possibility,” Szpila said.
But, she added, the committee was interested in a more immediate response.
The area of the bridge with several benches and the water feature known as the Stone Spring has always officially been considered a “Memory Area,” as the installations there were constructed with money donated in honor of loved ones and those who helped create the bridge in its earliest days.
“People tell us they sit on the bench to remember loved ones,” Szpila said. “So it seemed appropriate to place a memorial plaque in that area to be viewed from the bench.”
Although the current sign is temporary, the committee plans to replace it with a permanent plaque or artwork conveying the same sentiments.
The plaque is meant to be an inclusive memorial, Szpila added, as there have been too many such victims over the centuries to name them all.
Because of the continuing COVID-19 restrictions, the main span of the bridge itself remains closed to the public with locked gates. However, the sign is located in the small entrance garden outside the gates on the Shelburne side, which remains open.
Those who wish to view the sign are reminded to observe social distancing rules and wear masks.
Reach Mary Byrne at 413-772-0261, ext. 263 or mbyrne@recorder.com.