Fort Worth Activists Calling for the Removal of Historic Mural of Men Picking Cotton at Will Rogers Memorial Center

Activists with the Fort Worth NAACP are pushing the city to remove part of a mural on the Will Rogers Memorial Center that shows two African American men picking cotton.

“We received the complaint to it is our responsibility from a civil rights organization to address any issue that is of concern,” said Tarrant County NAACP president Estella Williams.

The Fort Worth’s Art Commission met last night to discuss the mural’s future. It has been up there since 1936, when the Center was built.

Martha Peters Director of Fort Worth Public Art said the intent was to show history and showing cotton as the source of economy during that time since the Center has been home to numerous agricultural events.

However Williams said if the mural stays up, they need to have educational  information in place to provide context to the picture. “As they mentioned in the meeting, it is a part of history and that’s sad…as a historical sight there needs to be context,” Williams said.

Peters said it usually takes 10 years worth of public complaint documentation for them to consider removing a piece. “However even though this is just one concern that we know of that’s come up…it just seemed very important for the Art Commission to take this seriously and open it up for public dialogue,” she said.

The commission plans to host a public forum in November to get the input of all citizen’s about the mural.

“I appreciate the idea that this isn’t going to be something that’s brushed over,” Williams said.

Peters said it’s important to understand with a historical work of art, a sensitivity like that would not as been as great then as it is now. “As a matter of fact when we look at other projects we have been able to commission since the start of the public art program in 2001, we have been able to do a lot of projects that elevate the history of African American communities in Fort Worth,” Peters said. “As we move forward were looking at unifying the community by having these stories told,” she said.

The group hasn’t officially set a date and location for the town hall meeting but says it will be sometime in November, before Thanksgiving.