ST. LOUIS — A Black history mural painted near a heavily trafficked walkway on the Danforth Campus of Washington University was covered with the logo of a known white supremacist group, a letter from university officials said Sunday.
The mural, entitled “The Story That Never Ends”, was painted in the South 40 underpass and displayed the faces of prominent Black figures, the letter from the university's chancellor, vice-chancellors and provost said. The letter stated students informed them Saturday night that the faces in the mural were painted over and covered up with the name of a white supremacist group.
"We appreciate the many students who contacted us late last night after this happened," the letter said. "As soon as we learned of this incident, we began to mobilize to remove the white supremacist name and symbols from the mural and found that students had already worked quickly to cover them."
The letter said a "small group of unknown individuals" vandalized the mural, and the Washington University Police Department is investigating the incident. According to the letter, there are cameras in the area. The leaders hope that evidence will help identify the vandals and result in the vandals being held responsible.
The South 40 underpass is a walkway that connects the main buildings of the Danforth Campus with most of the student housing.
According to an article in Student Life, the university's independent newspaper, the mural was created ahead of the 2020 school year by six St. Louis-area artists.
"The mural has been a source of pride and inspiration for our university community, and we will not let this act of cowardice deter us from celebrating our rich cultural histories, especially the outstanding contributions of people who have led the way toward greater equity and understanding," the letter said.
The letter also provided links to resources for students in need of support or assistance following the incident. Click here for more information.
Jennifer Schwesig, the chair of the Anti-Defamation League's Heartland Regional Advisory Board, provided the following statement:
“We strongly condemn this appalling vandalism and outright act of hate — the perpetrators must be held fully responsible. In 2020, hate crimes targeting Black people rose an alarming forty-three percent — as the forces of hate and extremism rise, we must stand together in denouncing all acts meant to inflict fear and intimidate communities, and unite in taking on bias and bigotry in all forms. We commend Washington University leaders and students who strongly and quickly denounced this ugly act of hatred and are working with law enforcement to investigate.”