In the 1950s and 1960s, he marched to desegregate a swimming pool in Cincinnati. He and his wife participated in voter registration drives, sit-ins, and freedom rides, and they hosted fundraising events at their home to support the civil-rights movement. He was inducted into the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame for decades of "advocating for equality and justice not only in Cincinnati, but throughout the country."

Now, at 86 years old, Abramson wanted to do something to show solidarity with those protesting systemic racism, police brutality, and the death of George Floyd, the 46-year-old black man who died under the weight of a Minneapolis police officer's knee in late May. He thought about attending a protest but worried about the crowds, his age, and the risk of COVID-19.

That led Abramson to ask his granddaughter, Arley Hunt, to help him write "Black Lives Matter" in chalk paint on the sliding glass door that leads to the balcony of his Mid Beach condo. It wasn't long before neighbors confronted him and complained to management. Staff at his Collins Avenue building told him to remove the sign.

Property manager Luis Tijerino tells New Times he supports Abramson's message but had to enforce the association's rules.