Woodbridge School District Considers Repainting Slavery Mural

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — There is a petition underway to either make changes to a mural that has long been in place at Woodbridge Middle School, or to take down the mural entirely and have students repaint it over.

The petition was actually launched by the Woodbridge school district.

"The district published the survey and sent it to the Woodbridge Middle School community for input," Woodbridge superintendent Dr. Robert Zega told Patch. "After we have gathered input from everyone, we will make a decision on the mural."

The mural was first painted around the time of the Great Depression, or the late 1920s, said the district.

The mural, known as the "Lincoln mural," is meant to commemorate then-President Abraham Lincoln freeing the slaves. However, the only African-American pictured appears on his knees, while white colonial settlers, American frontiersmen, George Washington and Native American Indians look on.

This does not sit well with everyone in the Woodbridge school district, which is one of the most diverse in the state.

"Both the School Equity Team and the Diversity Council at Woodbridge Middle School are working on solutions for the mural," said Zega.

"As you may be aware, some members of the Woodbridge community raised concerns about the mural painted on a wall of the the auditorium at WMS," read the survey. "One such observation was that the only African American depicted is on his knees, appearing subservient and formerly enslaved ... Some felt that this marginalizes the many contributions of African Americans in U.S history, and also creates the impression that freeing those you enslaved is an achievement rather correction of a historical atrocity. Additionally, all other figures are standing and the positioning makes the African American male appear as if he is excluded from the groups that make up the American people."

Some solutions the district is weighing are:

1. Place a placard on the mural so that viewers have a more complete understanding of the period in which it was commissioned (the mural dates back to the Great Depression)

2. Expand the mural to include a more inclusive depiction of the achievements and contributions to U.S. history made by Americans of all races, ethnicities and backgrounds. Do not get rid of the current mural, but instead, add to it.

3. Revise the mural by having students at the school depict their achievements in the form of visual art. Students will also create artwork that represents how they hope to contribute to making the U.S. a better place for all. Use the students' artwork to cover the mural, at least in part, such that it becomes a living piece that reflects the achievements and aspirations of the students at the school.

No solution has been decided upon yet.

The full mural: