They Tried to Bury Us. They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds. Marks Luis Fitch’s second commission for the Social Justice Billboard Project at George Floyd Square, the site of George Floyd’s murder and memorial in Minneapolis. Installed in the same location as his 2022 billboard, Racism Kills, the new work reflects how the conversation around justice, equity, and human dignity continues to evolve while reminding us that the work of healing remains unfinished.

Created in response to the immigration raids and enforcement actions carried out in Minneapolis, the billboard reflects on the human consequences of fear, displacement, and division while affirming the resilience of communities confronted by injustice.

The composition is divided by a horizon line bearing the words, “They Tried to Bury Us. They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds.” Below the line, two skeletal figures rest within a dark landscape rendered in black, symbolizing lives dehumanized by systems of exclusion, fear, and oppression. Above the horizon, a field of flowers rises beneath a luminous yellow sky, representing hope, renewal, and the enduring capacity of communities to flourish despite adversity.

The title references a proverb embraced worldwide as a symbol of resilience, resistance, and hope. Within the artwork, burial becomes a metaphor for transformation. What is forced beneath the surface does not disappear; it takes root, grows stronger, and ultimately blooms.

While inspired by events in Minneapolis, the work speaks to broader questions of migration, belonging, justice, memory, and human dignity. The flowers are not merely decorative elements; they represent remembrance, cultural continuity, and the collective strength of communities that continue to endure despite adversity.

Returning to George Floyd Square four years after Racism Kills, Fitch expands his exploration of social justice from confronting racial violence to examining the broader systems that shape fear, exclusion, and belonging. Together, the two billboards form an ongoing public dialogue about the value of every human life and the power of art to bear witness, inspire reflection, and cultivate hope.

They Tried to Bury Us. They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds. is both a memorial and a declaration. It acknowledges pain without surrendering to it, affirming that dignity cannot be erased, hope cannot be buried, and communities rooted in resilience will continue to grow and bloom.