Last year, George Floyd was murdered the day before Will’s (our owner’s) birthday. Once we got through the grief of what we’d all seen, the whole world seemed to catch fire. Sadness turned to anger and then rage, uncontrollable at times. While we’re still sifting through the ashes to figure out the next steps after the conviction of his murderer and what the future of policing looks like, we know one thing: We’re all in this together.

Last year, Lighthouse Tattoo hosted a barbeque on the 4th of July in support of Black Lives Matter. We thought it was appropriate to do so because of the occasion, and who doesn’t love a good barbeque on the 4th? While we don’t agree with the BLM organization and we want to be clear on that, we do support this movement and Lighthouse Tattoo tries to stay apolitical in most things.

While this might be a little weird, we took great comfort that even the new Captain America is portrayed by a black man (what can we say, we’re comic-book nerds). If you haven’t seen the new Falcon and the Winter Soldier series on Disneyplus, we believe it handles some of these very issues beautifully. It even impacted our decision whether or not to continue this fundraiser on the 4th of July or not. So we’re keeping it here!

The BLM barbeque is just that: A barbeque, not a protest, not a statement. Everyone is invited, including members of the law enforcement community, and everyone is welcome. We will have free food and drinks and for everyone who shows up, Lighthouse Tattoo will donate $10 to the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, or LDF. The NAACP is a time-tested organization dedicated to the prosperity of the black community. It’s approach is balanced, organized, and well thought out. We encourage everyone to take a look at what they have to offer.

So please, before you get out on the lake or go to watch fireworks that evening or just after church that day, stop by Lighthouse Tattoo for a hot dog or a burger and show your support!