Ear Hustle

A Mississippi Billboard Depicting “Bloody Sunday” Is Legal And Covered By The First Amendment

Photo Credit: WJTV

Photo Credit: WJTV

A controversial billboard Highway 80 in Pearl is getting a lot of attention.

The billboard appears to depict a moment from the civil rights era and has the words “Make America Great Again” on it.

It’s placed on a Lamar Advertising billboard. The display says that the signage was paid for by For Freedoms. It also says the billboard was not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

The original photo dates back to 1965, to a day known as “Bloody Sunday,” according to PRNewswire. Police and protesters faced off over voting rights in Selma, Alabama.

According to For Freedoms’ website, they use art to inspire deeper political engagement for citizens who want to have a greater impact on the American political landscape.

WJTV reached out to Lamar Advertising about the billboard.

A spokesperson told us that since everyone is entitled to freedom of speech, they saw no issue with putting it up. They had nothing to do with the creation of the billboard.

Governor Phil Bryant has seen the billboard and calls it reprehensible according to Mississippi News Now.

“It’s disappointing that this group would use this image as an attempt to divide the country,” said Bryant.

Pearl Mayor Brad Rogers also told MNN the the billboard doesn’t violate any laws or city ordinances and that since it’s “not vulgar” it is protected by freedom of speech.

Source: WKRG

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Most Popular

To Top