New George Floyd mural dedicated in Olney after previous mural was defaced

OLNEY (WPVI) -- A George Floyd mural in Olney was the target of vandals over the summer when it was defaced with white nationalist graffiti.

But after months of fundraising and a lot of work to find the right spot, a new and much larger mural was just dedicated to the community sending a message that hate has no place here.

It's all thanks to Mural Arts Philadelphia and North 5th Street Revitalization project.

The art work stands 110 feet long and 10 feet high on the side of the Tang Pharmacy at 5600 North 5th street.

It's also just feet from the abandoned newspaper stand that was home to the original mural.

Artist Randall Whitfield says heart of the mural remains the same and is meant to inspire meaningful conversations and actions for years to come.

"Me and my boss just looked yesterday at two children who came up here and stood there for a while and had to just touch the mural. I know that the most high has used me to be able to do these things," he said.

Community leaders say the mural belongs to the neighbors and the theme of the piece, titled "Never Forgotten," is a reminder to residents that their community stood together last summer and continues to stands in love.

It took Whitfield two months to recreate the mural, which he says was a labor of love.