When the school year began last month, a student-painted mural at Nagel Middle School was painted over at the behest of the Forest Hills School Board and Superintendent Larry Hook. Though it no longer adorns a wall at Nagel, the mural—which had been specifically designed by middle school students as an expression of diversity and welcoming inclusion—has taken on a second, much more visible life.
Much like the word “diversity” did a couple of years ago when the same School Board cancelled Turpin High School’s Diversity Day, the image from the mural is now appearing all around the district, on yard signs (like this one at the church), on T-shirts, on bumper stickers, etc. In fact, it has become a conspicuous symbol for local students and parents who are concerned about hatred, bullying, exclusion, and a lack of awareness and sensitivity to diversity issues in our local school system.
Copies of the mural design are available in the lobby at church.
