Controversy brewing over how Fresno Unified will protect murals during painting of high school

The routine painting of a Fresno high school is causing concern over how – or if – student murals of two civil rights icons will be protected, The Fresno Bee reported.

The murals at Edison High – designed by a local artist but painted by students – depict the poet and writer Maya Angelou and César Chávez, the famed farmworker labor leader.

The concerns follow the painting over of another student mural at Fresno’s McLane High School last year, the Bee reported. That mural contained the words “Rise Together” and symbolized, unity, community, kindness, and togetherness, the Bee reported. School officials have not disclosed why it was removed.

The school board seemingly struck a compromise over the Edison murals last month, voting to move ahead with repainting the school, while vowing not to paint over the murals. The board also promised to gather feedback from students, as well as the mural’s designer, Still, the Bee reported, trustees also discussed moving the murals inside of the school, which would mean painting over the existing murals and then repainting them on an inside wall.

“We’re just afraid we’re going to come back in August, and everything’s going to be gone,” teacher Lauren Lawless told the newspaper.