A fitting memorial
The poignant image of Mr G's mural of Awanuiarangi Black, half painted-out, seems to me to be a very fitting memorial to the man we thought we knew, and something we should keep.
Whichever way the current police investigation into the allegations against him is resolved, the painting, half-erased, will remind us all of the fallout for victims and perpetrators alike. If the allegations remain unproven, the image will be a sad reminder of a time of true moral panic in our community. On the other hand, it may serve as an encouragement for abuse victims to come forward. If they do come forward, the look on Awanuiarangi's half-face speaks of the pain all victims feel.
"Let them see what they have done," said Jackie Kennedy, refusing to change out of her bloodstained clothes a whole day after her husband's assassination. Mr G's work, as it is now, does the same job for us all.
Beth Bowden
Te Puna
(Beth Bowden is a trustee of Te Tuinga Whanau Services, a board that Awanuiarangi Black also served on)
