Emma Mesa-Melendez of Springfield fills in her letter, “S,” in the new Black Lives Matter mural at 232 Worthington St. in Springfield on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. Compressed within her letter are the words “I am not your negro,” in reference to a quote from American writer James Baldwin.
Emma Mesa-Melendez of Springfield fills in her letter, “S,” in the new Black Lives Matter mural at 232 Worthington St. in Springfield on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. Compressed within her letter are the words “I am not your negro,” in reference to a quote from American writer James Baldwin. Credit: STAFF PHOTO/KEVIN GUTTING

SPRINGFIELD — The recently painted Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Springfield already has been vandalized several times since it was created in September, but that’s not stopping local artists from continuing their work lifting up the movement for Black lives. Seventeen artists each lent their inspiration to the 16 letters in a new Black Lives Matter mural on Worthington Street on Saturday.