Slavery Mural in Georgia State Dept. of Agriculture Questioned, Some Express Shock at its Placement in a Government Building

The Georgia State Department of Agriculture has stirred up a hornet's nest on its own. Personally, I don't see it as a black mark, but as a reminder of how we have come as a people, with blacks in some of the highest positions in this country. Of course, there are many who beg to differ. The mural, part of a series by artist George Beattie dated 1956, is hung in the lobby of the building. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, some visitors were taken aback, some confused and some angry. Some have expressed shock that the slavery mural was so prominently placed in a government building.

The AJC recently inquired about the mural was was told that the mural is one of eight original paintings on two floors that were commissioned to create a visual timeline of agriculture in Georgia. So, that makes sense. We can never wipe the slate clean where slavery is concerned. But we can grow from the experiences of our fore parents and tap into the extraordinary strength they possessed in the face of such odds. However, our contribution to agriculture in this state should not be limited to slavery. I wonder why the mural has flew under the radar for so long. I guess the reason lies in the fact that about 200 people work in the building and it averages about 12 to 15 visitors daily, according to department officials.

There are four murals in the lobby, including the one at the reception desk. Two represent Native American and Colonial times; two depict slavery. Upstairs are more contemporary scenes — a farmers market; truck farming, with a black man and a white man working side by side; and researchers in a lab. An eighth painting that showed a farmer consulting with his county Extension agent was removed when a hallway was reconfigured, Arty Schronce said.

The murals were commissioned for the building that was completed in 1956, the year Georgia’s state flag was changed to incorporate the controversial Confederate flag. They were painted by the late George Beattie, a noted local artist who was executive director of the Georgia Council for the Arts from 1967 to 1975.

The new handout describing them includes a quote from Beattie, who acknowledged in a 1995 article that his slavery murals were troubling to some. “As a human being, I am vehemently opposed to slavery, as anyone should be,” Beattie was quoted as saying, “but it was a significant epoch in our history; it would have been inaccurate not to include this period.” Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution

I am not offended by this because it is factually based. We cannot magically snap our fingers and wish slavery didn't happen. Some have felt that it reinforces the image of blacks' subservience to white people. Must we always walk around with an inferiority complex? Though slavery is a blood stain on America's history, we can learn some valuable lessons about the tenacity, determination and unity among our fore parents. In the face of adversity, they never gave up hope that one day things would be better. We just can't block the portion of our heritage from plain view when it suits us.