University of Virginia Library

Portrait Removal

Almost immediately after their completion,
the City Manager, together with the head of the
recreation department decided that the portraits
were of a racist nature and should be
removed. They then contacted the head of the
youth group, indicating that something had to
be done about the pictures, and less than twelve
hours later had them over.

The anger by the action created was first
vented at a Council meeting near the end of
July. The Concerned Youth group for an
explanation of the Department's action and
were told that the policy of the department was
not to allow racially biased pictures to appear
on public property. Councilman Joseph Wright
stated, "I hope that the city never stoops so
low as to allow pictures of Carmichael
and Rap Brown to appear on City property.

The youth group dissented, arguing that
by allowing pictures of Jefferson, Madison, and
, all of whom they considered racists, to
appear on public property, the City was itself
maintaining a racist point of view. As a result,
City Manager Jim Bowen has had the portraits
of Messrs. Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe
painted over at the 13th Floor, the predominantly
white recreation center.

After Reverend Gordon spoke, the audience
stood in ovation. A member of the Black Youth
was recognized, and he told the Council about a
meeting held between Mr. Wyant, the director
of recreation, and Larry Fortune, a representative
of the youth group. According to Mr.
Fortune, Mr. Wyant agreed that the wall would
be returned through one of two alternatives.
The student, he said, could use paint that
appeared only under a specific type of light, or
could hand for the pictures when the
room was being used by the students and
youth.