Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg’s Rev. Ben Atherton-Zeman spoke out after the State dropped charges against him and Rev. Andrew Oliver, pastor of St. Pete’s Allendale United Methodist Church. But the case isn’t closed yet.
On Aug. 29, FDOT crews were scheduled to paint over a “Black History Matters” mural on 9th Avenue South. Atherton-Zeman and Oliver kneeled down to pray on the mural and to prevent FDOT machinery from erasing American history.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation in June mandating the removal of all socially conscious art from Florida roadways. The statewide mandate affected art on sidewalks, roadways, curbs, and crosswalks. DeSantis threatened to pull transportation funding from cities if they did not remove the murals by the deadline…