Artists collaborate on new Black Lives Matter street mural in Oak Park

OAK PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- A collection of artists and community organizers in Oak Park are painting their own Black Lives Matter street mural, the first of its kind in Illinois.

This will be more colorful than the other BLM murals of its kind popping up around the country, like the all white text in Flint, Mich. or the all yellow text in Washington, D.C.

Organizers said they intended that distinction to reflect Oak Park's diversity and to be as inclusive as possible since this mural is going up during Pride month.

"In Oak Park, we wanted to change it up a little bit and give it our own little twist," said Cullen Benson, who first proposed the idea on an Oak Park community Facebook page.

Benson said they decided to include eight colors "because Oak Park is a colorful community and a welcoming community."

The completed mural will be revealed this Saturday at the farmers market on Scoville Ave just south of Lake Street.