April 19, 2012

Native mural protests ethnic studies ban

‘Can’t Ban History’ Mural Protests Arizona’s Controversial Ethnic Studies BanStreet artist Jaque Fragua, Jemez Pueblo, whom we last saw creating a mural in Miami with his American Indian Mural Krew, recently beautified a plywood wall in downtown Tucson, Arizona. Fragua, like many people, is concerned about the choices Arizona’s lawmakers are making that seem increasingly hostile to minorities, whether they be Latino or Native.In Fragua's own words:The inspiration comes from my frustration with Arizona’s continued disappointing and preposterous political agenda, more specifically the HB 2281 bill which has removed Ethnic Studies from our young leaders’ education. I feel the intent is to spread such an ignorant bill to other states and if we allow this fire to spread, our communities will surely suffer from a lack of the critical understanding of our peoples’ true history and culture. Thus, I found a wall in downtown Tucson to emphasize the need for this understanding and to combat the banning of our people’s literature.Comment:  For more on Fragua's murals, see American Indian Mural Krew and Native Youths "Paint the Ave."

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