'End Racism Now, Black Lives Matter:' Organizers decorate roundabout surrounding Fayetteville's Market House

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- The process of transforming the Market House into a center for representation started Friday afternoon.

A group of organizers began painting the block letters "End Racism Now" and "Black Lives Matter" around the no-drive zone of the historic building.

"Here's a generation that says 'wait a minute, no,'" Joe McGee said. "And how did this all happen, of course, we know this came from George Floyd incident and those leading up to it. But the nation was sitting still, we were so busy something. For the first time, we all got to see at one time and say, 'wait a minute, this is wrong.'

McGee is proud of what the mural represents and finds the message "Black Lives Matter" to be even more potent surrounding an establishment where slaves were sold.

"The city obviously heard what the people said and wanted and they are making a change and that is visible," McGee said.

Recently, the Market House has been a controversial symbol for the City of Fayetteville because of the history behind the building. Shortly after faith leaders called for the removal of the structure Tuesday night, Mayor Mitch Colvin submitted a request to remove the Market House from any affiliation with the City.

Fayetteville city leaders unanimously approved the mural project. Now, the project is expected to take several days to complete but is expected to be finished by next Monday.

The murals echo messages being placed across the Triangle including the "End Racism Now" mural in downtown Raleigh and the "Black Lives Matter" mural painted in a historic Durham neighborhood.

"The answer is in what the young generation are doing, they're saying, 'No more,'" McGee said.