When you look up at the Uptown Station on Telegraph Ave. in downtown Oakland, there’s a face starting back at you.
Photo collage created by photographer/artist Cinque Mubarak showing "the Black experience" in Oakland.Cinque Mubarak
"(It’s of) a Black young boy who is taking a look at a protest right in front of him," said Ahmed Ali Bob, Community Affairs Lead at Square. "Right next to that, you have the iconic Oakland Tribune Tower that’s a landmark here in Oakland."
He’s describing one of two new billboards, this one featuring the work of Oakland artist, Cinque Mubarak. In a statement to KCBS Radio, the artist said: "I took this photo at a time when I only saw negative imagery of African Americans in the media. Yes, there is negativity in the Black experience; however, there is also beauty."
"When we saw his artwork, we were all blown away by his expressions of the Black experience in Oakland," Bob said.
That intensified this summer during a series of social justice protests related to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
"We really wanted to stand in solidarity and make sure we were doing our part to state the obvious, which is Black Lives Matter. We found the highest perch on top of our building to make that statement."
One of two new billboards atop Uptown Station in downtown Oakland.Square, Inc.
The other billboard is all black, with the text "Black Lives Matter" written in white.
"It was exciting to be a part of this project that continues to show that Square means it when we say Black Lives Matter," said Tyisha Shaia, a Square employee who designed the billboard. "In addition to all the other work we’ve done to further social justice through investments, donations, and community work, putting up this billboard created by Black artists with design input from Black employees, is just another example of Square showing our dedication."
