The historical painting – which was painted in 1936 by the Russian artist Victor Arnautoff and depicts, among other things, the first president of the United States George Washington, slaves and Native Americans – has stirred emotions and created debate for several decades. In particular, parents of students at the school have argued that their children should not have to see pictures of slavery on the way to class.
Parents of students at the school have long been upset that their children need to see pictures of slavery on the way to lessons
The vote was a response to a court ruling from 2021 which found that the school board acted too hastily in 2019 when the original decision was made to cover it and did not properly investigate the environmental consequences of having the mural removed or hidden
Victor Arnautoff emigrated from Russia to the United States and became a highly acclaimed artist. He is known for mosaics and facades and the art world fears that many of his works in Ukraine were probably destroyed after the Russian invasion earlier this year.