(Source: WMC Action News 5)MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) -
A billboard in Orange Mound gives new meaning to the phrase “black lives matter.”
Big and bold, in red and black, the message stands out to drivers near the intersection of Airways Boulevard and Park Avenue.
“Black lives matter. So let's quit killing each other.”
Civil rights activist Fred Davis is the man behind the message.
He's not new to putting up controversial billboards. Davis' billboard is directly in front of his insurance company. He said he's expanding on the “black lives matter” movement following the deaths of black men across the country.
He said it's time black people realize they need to stop violence against each other.
“We're going to have to wake up. We're going to have to say to ourselves that black lives matter, and we're going to have to refrain from killing each other out of our own frustration,” Davis said.
Davis walked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in his final march before his death. He served as the first African American chairman on the Memphis City Council.
“I can speak, not from reading a book about the history, because I was a part of the history,” Davis said. “I think that gives me a license as an experienced observer to push and to advocate to the black community--let's stop it." The billboard went up about three weeks ago. He said he plans on continuing his message on t-shirts and other items. To find more about the campaign and where you can purchase apparel and more, click here.Copyright 2015 WMC Action News 5. All rights reserved.