Arizona has become the battle ground for a new civil rights movement. Thousands of protesters and supporters both in state and out have voiced their opinions on this controversial issue. But now the fight is being taken to the doors of Arizona's class rooms.
Recently Jeff Lane, principal of Prescott Elementary, Arizona, criticized a mural of Prescott student’s using energy conserving methods as being too dark skinned. One week prior, Lane asked the artist of the mural to paint the faces of the students to appear much lighter. This came after Councilman Steve Blair rant on his Arizona talk show saying he felt as if he was being taunted of a happy non-white child working towards a greener community.
According to a Change.org article Blair continued to say, "I am not a racist individual. But I will tell you depicting a black guy in the middle of that mural, based upon who's President of the United States today and based upon the history of this community, when I grew up we had four black families — who I have been very good friends with for years — to depict the biggest picture on that building as a black person, I would have to ask the question, 'Why?”
The mural in question, as show above, depicts a Mexican-American student at the school who was used as a model. The words from Blair on his morning AM talk show resonated with some members of the community who also criticized and shouted racist remarks to the students who were assisting with the mural and to the artist himself.
Parents of students at Prescott protested these new actions which cause Principal Lane to issue an apology for his remarks and promised to restore the mural to its original state. Blair was also reprimanded and was removed from his morning talk show but remains as member of the City Council.
It is this writers opinion that this form of action will only make the gap wider amongst native Arizonian's and their local schools, local and state governments. If such images are cause for such an uproar Arizona and the entire US. have a long road ahead of them to reach equality for all. Yet, we must not turn and bow our heads in shame for it. We must learn that all countries and cultures worldwide have done similar things but it is the present in which we live in now that we may reach a brighter future and the actions such as this hinders our progress as a nation.
I sincerely hope that the state of Arizona will one day be able to one day look back on such actions like these and move forward as a state for the people.
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