In the New York subway, the return of “Post-it therapy”

(New York) On the wall of a subway corridor in Manhattan, New Yorkers scribble little words, thoughts and ideas on Post-it notes: a way to ward off fears born from the election of Donald Trump.

On these small squares of multicolored paper, we can read: “Let’s be kinder”, “Am I going to be deported?” », “Get rid of Trump”, “A convict for president”.

The idea is not completely new but dates back to 2016. In a different form, Matt Chavez then called it “Subway Therapy”.

“There were no Post-its” at the time, explains this 36-year-old man, in front of passengers – tourists, families, workers – who stop to read or write. “It was just me talking to people. But after Trump was first elected that same year, I evolved it. I wanted to help people express themselves, share their ideas and come together.”

He relaunched this concept of “Post-it therapy” – which he has spread elsewhere in the United States but also as far away as Brussels and Malmö (Sweden) – a week ago, a little before Tuesday’s presidential election.

New York City voted overwhelmingly for Democrat Kamala Harris against native Donald Trump, but much less than for Joe Biden in 2020.

“I notice that people are writing more about their fears and their fears, but also about their strength and their resilience,” underlines Matt Chavez.

Esra Yalcin, a graphic designer of Turkish origin, came with her daughter, whom she photographed pasting her square of paper on the white tiles typical of the New York subway.

This fifty-year-old remembers coming in 2016 after the New York billionaire’s first election, when she was pregnant with her daughter Lia.

“This time, we are writing to people to stay strong,” she said.