The Aerial Lift Bridge is expected to be lit red Friday night at the request of Lakeview Christian Academy.
The bridge was originally scheduled to be lit blue to honor Lakeview Christian Academy 2020 graduates, but after a concerned Duluth resident reached out to the school to see if they would change the color, LCA decided to request it be lit red instead, Head of School Aaron Walls said.
Blue is typically used to symbolically show support for law enforcement. After recent events in Minnesota surrounding the homicide of George Floyd, Walls told the News Tribune the school believed red was more appropriate, even though blue is the school's color.
"Lakeview Christian Academy believes that the murder of George Floyd is indefensible, and we grieve with and support the black community and all peaceful protesters in the effort to seek justice," Walls said. "The red represents the truth that the shed blood of Jesus Christ covers all of us with unparalleled, sacrificial love — the example for each of us."
The resident who notified the school was Maggie Travis, who said she noticed on Tuesday the bridge was lit blue, which caused her to do a bit of researching to find out why. The bridge was lit blue to honor graduates for Duluth Public Schools' Area Learning Center.
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The city announced in early May the bridge would be lit in various colors through June 7 in honor of all Duluth high school and college graduating seniors. Each college and high school selected its colors and was celebrated individually on the day of its originally scheduled graduation.
Due to guidelines set out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traditional graduations have been canceled for the class of 2020.
"A small thing like changing these light bulbs is one small action that indicates it's imperative to never again harm any black or any people of colors' lives," Travis said in an email to local media. "We all recognized the blue as being re-traumatizing and dangerously painful."
Travis said she suggested the color red as a symbol of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Red is often used as a symbol of solidarity throughout the United States, such as during protests.
"We abhor the individual actions by police that have stained the reputation of law enforcement and military personnel who daily protect our citizens," Walls said. "As a Christian school, we stand together in prayer for our community and nation."
Duluth Communications and Policy Officer Phil Jents told the News Tribune the city received the request from LCA and confirmed the bridge will be lit red Friday night.
The bridge is scheduled to be lit blue and white Saturday in honor of Harbor City International Charter School graduates and gold on Sunday in honor of Marshall School graduates.
