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Historic WPA mural featuring only white children removed from Oak Park school
The Chicago Sun-Times ^ | April 16, 2019 | Manny Ramos

Posted on 04/16/2019 10:40:00 AM PDT by PBRCat

A Depression-era mural depicting white children playing outside in the winter was removed from Percy Julian Middle School in Oak Park because school officials said it failed to represent the school’s diversity.

While some said the mural was upsetting to students of color who felt it excluded them from the school, a local historian likened the removal to a “modern-day book burning.”

Cynthia Brito Millan, a coordinator for the middle school’s Social Justice Club, said the push to remove the mural began in February at a district school board meeting. Students expressed frustration about an atmosphere of exclusion for students of color — who make up 45 percent of the student body — and cited the mural as an example.

“This mural made students feel invisible because it doesn’t reflect the current student body,” Brito Millan said. “How can a student learn in a healthy environment when they don’t feel they are being seen?”

“There is nothing offensive with the mural; it just shows all white kids playing,” said Sokol, an author and Oak Park resident. “Just because it doesn’t have any black kids, doesn’t make it offensive. It doesn’t display any stereotypes at all. That’s how Oak Park looked back then. You can’t erase history.”

Barbara Bernstein, a founder of the New Deal Art Registry, said the removal of the mural is a missed opportunity for students to learn about the history around them.

(Excerpt) Read more at chicago.suntimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy; US: California; US: Illinois; US: North Carolina; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: academicbias; antiamericanism; art; barbarabernstein; california; censorship; chicago; communismkills; culturalmarxism; cynthiabritomillan; davidmsokol; davidsokol; defundnpr; defundpbs; dnctalkingpoint; dnctalkingpoints; downthememoryhole; dukeuniversity; education; endwhiteshaming; fdrlegacy; georgesoros; illinois; intolerance; jussiesmollett; justinfairfax; kimfoxx; littleredschoolhouse; mannyramos; mediawingofthednc; meredithwatson; metoo; michelleobama; newdeal; newdealism; northcarolina; npr; oakpark; obamalegacy; partisanmediashills; pbs; percyjulianmiddle; presstitutes; progrom; purge; race; rahmemanuel; ralphnortham; revisionisthistory; smearmachine; smollett; socialjusticeclub; socialrealism; stalinisttactics; taxdollarsatwork; thenewdeal; unamericanactivities; vanessatyson; virginia; waronart; wpa
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To: PBRCat

I went to this school in the 60s when it was named Hawthorne. They already erased that part of my personal history by renaming it for some marginal character. They also had another WPA mural in the lobby. That’s long gone.


21 posted on 04/16/2019 11:00:24 AM PDT by Venkman
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To: PBRCat
Here's the offensive artwork in question. Good riddance!
We can't allow our precious chirruns to be exposed to hateful trash like this.

22 posted on 04/16/2019 11:00:31 AM PDT by Blurb2350
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To: PBRCat

Well isn’t that special. They certainly would not want to know my opinion when I go through once great neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia. Most are are complete “diverse” sh*tholes with zero white people and hideous murals of afro and latino garbage.


23 posted on 04/16/2019 11:03:59 AM PDT by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
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To: PBRCat

Removing the painting is not enough. They need to burn white children.


24 posted on 04/16/2019 11:04:06 AM PDT by Altura Ct.
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To: PBRCat

Few years ago this fortune 500 company had murals of all of it’s previous Presidents in a library removed.

The reason? All of them were lily white and it showed “no diversity”. LOL!

Stupid and ignorant!


25 posted on 04/16/2019 11:04:44 AM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal (Like Enoch, Noah, & Lot, the True Church will soon be removed & then destruction comes forth.)
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To: TexasGator
You misrepresent his sentiment.

I think not.

He's just thinking short term. In another generation or two, no one will know about the way the town was "back when" because every record of it will be destroyed at the behest of whiny "social justice clubs".

Another example: Confederate memorials that were perfectly appropriate when erected are not PC now and they must go.

That history has been attacked and when combined with manipulated history lessons in public schools, destroyed.

It's their goal. It's what they do. It's why they exist.

26 posted on 04/16/2019 11:05:07 AM PDT by grobdriver (BUILD KATE'S WALL!)
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To: PBRCat

Time to replace those portraits of the presidents, too many old white guys


27 posted on 04/16/2019 11:08:02 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Denounce DUAC - The Democrats Un-American Activists Committee)
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To: PBRCat

Are they going to replace it with some diverse art?
Maybe some graffi of gang symbols.
Perhaps some Muslim art.
How about a mural of homosexuals in various sex positions?


28 posted on 04/16/2019 11:11:01 AM PDT by Leep (It's.. (W)all or nothing..!)
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To: PBRCat

Why are there “social justice clubs” at this Middle School? Or, for that matter, any school?

Public Schools really are nothing but indoctrination centers.


29 posted on 04/16/2019 11:14:52 AM PDT by CrimsonTidegirl
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To: grobdriver

Go back and reread his statement ...


30 posted on 04/16/2019 11:18:13 AM PDT by TexasGator (Z1z)
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To: samtheman

As a first-year teacher back in 1968 I darkened some of the faces in several California Mission days posters I displayed in my classroom.


31 posted on 04/16/2019 11:19:25 AM PDT by Irish Queen (Not all cults are religious)
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To: PBRCat

The Stalinist revisionism of history continues with no abatement nor end in sight...


32 posted on 04/16/2019 11:23:04 AM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is Sam Adams now that we desperately need him)
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To: PBRCat

Come to think of it ..they better start rounding up millions of those puzzles with folk painting of mostly white people on farms and other rural areas.
And burn them?


33 posted on 04/16/2019 11:24:03 AM PDT by Leep (It's.. (W)all or nothing..!)
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To: grobdriver

Democrats can’t solve any real problems so this is what they do to feel like they do.


34 posted on 04/16/2019 11:26:23 AM PDT by cnsmom
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To: All

Now they have room for a mural depicting the current crop in the pursuit of their favorite pastime - wilding.


35 posted on 04/16/2019 11:35:13 AM PDT by rockrr ( Everything is different now...)
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To: PBRCat

Oak Park is an ultra liberal close in west side leafy shitcago suburb. “Nuclear free” town. Followed Chicago with a ban on handguns in the early 80’s. A thorough democrat wet dream.


36 posted on 04/16/2019 11:36:52 AM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneow)
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To: PBRCat
middle school’s Social Justice Club,

“This mural made students feel invisible because it doesn’t reflect the current student body,”

Social Justice Club in a middle school???? This ain't about the kids, they probably never gave the mural a second thought.....

37 posted on 04/16/2019 11:44:19 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco (ui)
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To: PBRCat

I doubt the children feel threatened - its the leftist, Neo-marxist adults at the school who feel threatened.


38 posted on 04/16/2019 11:59:31 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: Blurb2350

Its even less offensive than I thought, which was nearly nothing.

Take a brown magic marker and color over some the faces to match whatever percentage the a$$**** leftist, SJW administrators deem necessary

Problem solved.


39 posted on 04/16/2019 12:03:34 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: Blurb2350

I think I’ve seen this mural on a Christmas card.

By removing it these people are taking a dump on that great Liberal icon, FDR. He funded it.


40 posted on 04/16/2019 12:11:07 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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