Altered mural fuels racial debate in Prescott

[Modbert]

Altered mural fuels racial debate in Prescott

A group of artists has been asked to lighten the faces of children depicted in a giant public mural at a Prescott school.

The project's leader says he was ordered to lighten the skin tone after complaints about the children's ethnicity. But the school's principal says the request was only to fix shading and had nothing to do with political pressure.
he "Go on Green" mural, which covers two walls outside Miller Valley Elementary School, was designed to advertise a campaign for environmentally friendly transportation. It features portraits of four children, with a Hispanic boy as the dominant figure.

R.E. Wall, director of Prescott's Downtown Mural Project, said he and other artists were subjected to slurs from motorists as they worked on the painting at one of the town's most prominent intersections.

"We consistently, for two months, had people shouting racial slander from their cars," Wall said. "We had children painting with us, and here come these yells of (epithet for Blacks) and (epithet for Hispanics)."

City Councilman Steve Blair spearheaded a public campaign on his talk show at Prescott radio station KYCA-AM (1490) to remove the mural.

In a broadcast last month, according to the Daily Courier in Prescott, Blair mistakenly complained that the most prominent child in the painting is African-American, saying: "To depict the biggest picture on the building as a Black person, I would have to ask the question: Why?"

Faces in the mural were drawn from photographs of children enrolled at Miller Valley, a K-5 school with 380 students and the highest ethnic mix of any school in Prescott.

1.) How does one "mistakenly" complain that the biggest picture on the building is African American?

2.) I wonder how those bigoted cowards felt using racial slurs at children.

Sickening.

Thoughts USMB?

 

[Woyzeck]

It's surprising to see something as blatant as that in this day and age. Something like this should be rather open and shut, I don't see any reason to have the skin tones in the mural changed in such a manner.

It appears that this just isn't Arizona's year for sensible decisions.

 

[EriktheRed]

Stay classy, Arizona.

 

[Mr.Fitnah]

Prescott is the liberal suburb of sedona .
Leave it alone the sun will bleach it white.

 

[EriktheRed]

Here's a bit of good news:


Steve Blair Fired By KYCA - Prescott eNews

 

[RadiomanATL]

1.) How does one "mistakenly" complain that the biggest picture on the building is African American?

Cause the child was supposed to be Hispanic and not Black?

 

[SFC Ollie]

Some people are simply stupid.

Racism = Stupidity

 

[ihopehefails]

I don't agree with the insults but some of us are getting tired of having our freedom of thought being taken away through PC thought crime enforcment. Why do I have to diverse to begin with. What power on earth demands that I accept this for myself?

 

[JakeStarkey]

No one has to accept it at all, but hateful words reveals a lack of nuance and sophistication. They reveal one is a rather low-class individual.

 

[American Horse]

City Councilman Steve Blair spearheaded a public campaign on his talk show at Prescott radio station KYCA-AM (1490) to remove the mural.

In a broadcast last month, according to the Daily Courier in Prescott, Blair mistakenly complained that the most prominent child in the painting is African-American, saying: "To depict the biggest picture on the building as a Black person, I would have to ask the question: Why?"

...

...question: Why?"

" Blair could not be reached for comment Thursday. In audio archives of his radio show, Blair discusses the mural. He insists the controversy isn't about racism but says the mural is intended to create racial controversy where none existed before.

"Personally, I think it's pathetic," he says. "You have changed the ambience of that building to excite some kind of diversity power struggle that doesn't exist in Prescott, Arizona. And I'm ashamed of that."

I think he perceived a nuanced form of in-their-face "race baiting" and he got caught taking the "bait"
Beyond the obvious "intended" purpose of promoting racial harmony, he was pointing out that in the current "atmosphere of tension" it was instead...DIVISIVE. ...if you are really interested in an alternative point of view and not just exploiting the situation for racial purposes.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Altered mural fuels racial debate in Prescott

A group of artists has been asked to lighten the faces of children depicted in a giant public mural at a Prescott school.

The project's leader says he was ordered to lighten the skin tone after complaints about the children's ethnicity. But the school's principal says the request was only to fix shading and had nothing to do with political pressure.
he "Go on Green" mural, which covers two walls outside Miller Valley Elementary School, was designed to advertise a campaign for environmentally friendly transportation. It features portraits of four children, with a Hispanic boy as the dominant figure.

R.E. Wall, director of Prescott's Downtown Mural Project, said he and other artists were subjected to slurs from motorists as they worked on the painting at one of the town's most prominent intersections.

City Councilman Steve Blair spearheaded a public campaign on his talk show at Prescott radio station KYCA-AM (1490) to remove the mural.

In a broadcast last month, according to the Daily Courier in Prescott, Blair mistakenly complained that the most prominent child in the painting is African-American, saying: "To depict the biggest picture on the building as a Black person, I would have to ask the question: Why?"

Faces in the mural were drawn from photographs of children enrolled at Miller Valley, a K-5 school with 380 students and the highest ethnic mix of any school in Prescott.

1.) How does one "mistakenly" complain that the biggest picture on the building is African American?

2.) I wonder how those bigoted cowards felt using racial slurs at children.

Sickening.

Thoughts USMB?

Your quotes say FOR not AGAINST. So assuming that is correct they were racial comments meant to denigrate people not black or Hispanic.

 

[JakeStarkey]

RGS, try again, please. That does not make sense even in Overton and the Republic.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

RGS, try again, please. That does not make sense even in Overton and the Republic.

It is simple, if one says someone was shouting FOR something then they can hardly be bad mouthing it. Either the piece has a really stupid writer, the person interviewed is really stupid OR the shouts were not against Hispanics when shouted for and not against blacks when shouted for.

 

[JakeStarkey]

OK, that I understand.

 

[bodecea]

I don't agree with the insults but some of us are getting tired of having our freedom of thought being taken away through PC thought crime enforcment. Why do I have to diverse to begin with. What power on earth demands that I accept this for myself?

This is a crime? Someone has been arrested?

 

[JT Gooding]

This whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. It isn't about race, it never was. The people involved have their own agenda. They figure by calling the opposition racists and bigots they will silence them. Here's the woman spearheading the recall of our Councilman. standingonthesideoflove.org/blog prescottuu.org/index.pl?id=2446;isa=Category;op=show Seems she and her group have nothing better to do than find something to protest!

 

[ConHog]

Why did the principal order a lightening of the skin? I'm confused.... both blacks and Latinos come in many shades, hell sometimes one can't even tell for sure which is which, so what was the point of altering the shade?

Other than that, who cares

 

[JT Gooding]

Why did the principal order a lightening of the skin? I'm confused.... both blacks and Latinos come in many shades, hell sometimes one can't even tell for sure which is which, so what was the point of altering the shade?

Other than that, who cares

The school superintendant ordered the change. The guys got about 3 weeks left till retirement. He just wanted to make it go away. Kinda like the movie Lethal Weapon--Danny Glover goes his whole career without incedent then 2 weeks before retirement....."Oh Crap"!