CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) – A push for change in the streets in Champaign will go before city council next week.

The city council will take up a proposal for a Black Lives Matter streetscape at its Tuesday meeting. The discussion on the artwork comes at the request of community activists.

"We, as a city, want to make sure that we are in tune with the nation to make sure that black lives do matter,” Justin Hendrix, one of the activists pushing for the mural, said.

Hendrix and those involved in the discussions for the streetscape said a street mural would send a message and help with racial divisions in the community.

"We have seen a cry out in a creative way for racism and social injustice,” Hendrix said. "Art is creative. Art is provoking. Art is the truth. What we are speaking is a truth that provokes people. Blacks Live Matters is a truth that provokes people”

Hendrix and others involved in the mural want a local Black artist to create the design to include all walks of life. It is one of the options the city will discuss at its meeting Tuesday. Council could also decide to go a route like a “Black Lives Matter” statement similar to what was done in Chicago, or they could use stencils.

"There should be a unanimous vote to approve it,” Hendrix said. “There should be no discrepancy, no conversation on it. There should be nothing but yay’s in the conversation because in all actuality, black lives do matter

Those pushing for the street art said they have been in talks with the city council to make this happen since May. Hendrix wants what the community sees to make a statement that racism in Champaign will not be tolerated.

"We want to make sure that we visually see that black lives do matter, in more ways than one,” Hendrix said. “We also want equity. We also want health cares."

The proposal being sent before council also gives other options for where the streetscape could go, including the sidewalk, a loading zone of in parking spaces.

WAND News reached out to the city Friday to discuss the project but they could not make someone available.