School ditches classic heroes on mural, includes Oprah, J.K Rowling instead
The staff of South Arbor Charter Academy in Ypsilanti, Michigan, has decided that it's time for a mural makeover, and parents aren't pleased.
Historical figures, among them Mother Teresa, Betsy Ross, Gandhi, and Albert Einstein, have been honored on SACA's "Heroes Hall" mural for years. In a shift from "historical heroes" to "modern-day heroes," they have been replaced by depictions of President Obama, author J.K. Rowling, and television personality Oprah, among others.
SACA parent Craig Bergman told Fox News that selecting the people represented on the wall has become a political issue. "This is no longer a hall of heroes. Now we have a hall of celebrities," he said.
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Another parent expressed concern that kids seeing these murals for the next four years would confuse success in business with real heroism.
School officials have defended their choices, saying the people on the Heroes Wall represent the virtues of "wisdom, respect, gratitude, self-control, perseverance, courage, encouragement, compassion and integrity."
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