Actor Danny Glover against decision to remove mural at Washington High School
OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Esteemed actor and activist Danny Glover entered the fight to preserve a mural at his alma mater, San Francisco's Washington High School.
Glover, a San Francisco native, spoke out against the school board's decision to destroy the longstanding mural.
"To destroy them or block them from view would be akin to book burning. We would be missing the opportunity for enhanced historic introspection that this moment has provided us," he said.
The controversial artwork is located inside the main entrance of Washington High school and has been there for more than eight decades.
It shows the life of George Washington at various stages of his life.
But opponents say they are offended by the images of black slaves and Native Americans.
"It is a racist mural. My history should not be racist but it is. I came from slaves," said Virginia Marshall with the Alliance of Black School Educators.
"Why do we have to explain the pain caused by visual offense that we see in that building that is supposed to be an institution of learning," said Mary Travis-Allen, another opponent.
Those who want to preserve the mural say it was drawn by artist Victor Arnautoff, not to glorify slavery or the killings of Native Americans, but to illustrate history.
In late June, the school board unanimously voted to paint over the mural, but that decision has been met with much pushback.
On Tuesday, the San Francisco school board plans to revisit its decision and offer a new solution that would focus on covering the mural without damaging it.
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