When Does It Qualify as Racism?

[pinboy3niner]

In a nutshell:

1) Mural painted at a school depicts racial diversity; artists taunted with racist epithets.

2) City councilman mistakenly complains leading child in mural is "a black person," launches campaign to remove mural.

3) Principal requests mural be altered to lighten skin color; denies political pressure.

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Altered mural fuels racial debate in Prescott
by Dennis Wagner - Jun. 4, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic



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.
<snip>

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)."


Read more:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/06/04/20100604arizona-mural-sparks-racial-debate.html

[UndertheOcean]

1. What is wrong with Arizona ?

[EFerrari]

2. The racists have been granted impunity.

[Jamastiene]

3. Too much to list.

And to think, years ago, I dreamed of moving there for the arid climate. Now, not at all. :thumbsdown:

[aquart]

5. Too much sun drives you crazy?

It's really hot there.

[pinboy3niner]

6. This should not become a state-bashing thread

To generalize the hateful actions or views of some to the entire population of the state would be a mistake.

[Caliman73]

9. I agree

It is not everyone in Arizona. The frustration comes from the idea that this elected official and the principal of the school are allowed to spew this stupidity seemingly without consequence. People generalize it because the news has been giving attention to racist idiots like the councilman without showing reaction by the populace.

You are correct though. Bashing an entire population of people for the actions of a few idiots is not productive.

[blondeatlast]

10. Mostly, intolerant people who've moved here from elsewhere who find spokesmodels

in the nuthjobs attracted to running for office here.

I live here and have for most of my life, love it, and am not moving. But the place was not this crazy before the mid-80s (think Ev Mecham).

It ain't the natives, that much I know.

[habitual]

4. photo of mural:

[pinboy3niner]

14. Thanks for posting the photo. nt

[Bandit]

20. Man is that face ever dark, no wonder they want it whitened....

Do I need the sarcasm thingy...:sarcasm:

[JuniperLea]

7. So, instead of sticking up for what's right...

And ignoring the cretins who allegedly spewed epithets, they cave to these morons. Brilliant.

I'm sick of racism, and of classism, and all shades of bigotry... not to mention the insults hurled against opinion.

[blondeatlast]

11. You said it. Our cowardly nutjobs just feel more comfortable to spew

gthe venom instead of actually taking a brave stance and leading, but it isn't isolated in Arizona, just more visible.

[Scuba]

16. Nailed it.

[Caliman73]

8. Sad state of affairs indeed.

The idiot councilman says, "To depict the biggest picture on the building as a Black person, I would have to ask the question: Why?"

Why not? What is wrong with having the biggest picture be of a Black or Latino child? Is there something inherently wrong with depicting an ethnic minority child in the mural? I honestly do not see what the big deal is with having that mural depiction.



Then he goes on to say, "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."

Personally I think he is pathetic. The only power struggle seems to be coming from the bigots who think that depicting a Black or Latino child changes the "ambiance" of a building. That is basically another way of saying, "The minorities are moving in, there goes the neighborhood." The decent people of Prescott, Arizona should be ashamed of having a government representative spouting this quasi racist bullshit.

[pinboy3niner]

15. The mural's faces were drawn from photos of kids enrolled at the school

And the school, Miller Valley, has "the highest ethnic mix of any school in Prescott."

You're absolutely right--what's pathetic are the complaints that the representation of the school's ACTUAL diversity is somehow anything BUT appropriate.

[Lilyeye]

18. I agree. The bastard also said he hated the word diversity. That says it all.

Of course he had to say "Oh I am not racist, because I was friends with one of the few black families here." These bigots have really been showing their true colors.

[Caliman73]

19. That is usually a sure sign.

The fact that he pointed out that there were 4 Black families points to an underlying attitude that he is okay with Blacks and other minorities as long as they know their place. When they start becoming more prominent members of the community, that is when the problems start for clowns like the councilman and his ilk.

[blondeatlast]

12. That cowardice certainly does. And I damn well will call it when I see it. nt

[Enrique]

13. R.E. Wall

awesome name for the director of the downtown mural project. :thumbsup:

[Scuba]

17. Let's all move to Arizona, register, vote, and make it a sanctuary....

...that'd drive 'em nuts wouldn't it?

[KonaKane]

21. Sounds like Prescott needs more, not less, dark skinned faces.

I wonder if all the cementheads who were screaming racial epithets at the artists realize they were making a great case for the choice of skin colors displayed on the mural?

Naw, that would require too much thinking.