Following public outcry the San Francisco Board of Education voted to cover up rather than destroy an historic mural, considered offensive to some minorities, at Washington High School.
On Tuesday the school board reversed it’s decision to paint over the mural depicting slavery and the killing of a Native American, but have ordered it to be hidden under panels showing the “heroism of people of color” instead
Ironically the mural painted in 1936, was intended to send a subtle anti-racism message.
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RT reports: Among other things, the mural – a series of 13 frescoes titled ‘The Life of Washington’ – depicts slavery and white settlers standing over a dead Native American.
It was painted in 1936 by Russian émigré artist Victor Arnautoff and was actually intended to be critical of Washington’s legacy as America’s first president.
In June, the city’s school board voted to paint over the mural. The decision prompted a backlash as critics said that destroying a historical work of art is akin to censorship. Following fierce debate, the school board convened again on Tuesday, deciding by a 4-3 vote to cover the mural over with panels indefinitely, instead of destroying it. According to the board, the new panels will show “the heroism of people of color in America” and their struggle against “discrimination, racism, hatred, and poverty.”
“I think we all agree that the mural depicts a history of the country that’s hard to see,” school board President Stevon Cook said before the vote.
The ongoing re-evaluation of historical figures in the US remains a point of contention, with a surge in calls to remove from public spaces references to people some associate with racism, colonialism, and slavery. Dozens of statues of Confederate figures have been removed in recent years.
There have also been calls by activists to remove statues of the Founding Fathers, like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, because they owned slaves and tolerated racism. Opponents say the statues should remain in place, serving as reminders of the tragic and uncomfortable moments of history.
