Dover school district paints over student’s Black Lives Matter mural

DOVER PLAINS — As they bid farewell to the Dover Union Free School District, seniors graduating from Dover High School were invited to leave their mark on the district by painting a mural on the high school driveway, an annual tradition. For Jody Grant, a member of the Class of 2020, it seemed a fitting occasion to turn her passion for Black Lives Matter (BLM) into art, and she set to work creating a mural to memorialize the social justice movement. Yet just as Jody’s art was taking shape, she was told by the Dover school district to get rid of it. Within 24 hours, Jody discovered that the district decided to paint over her artwork.

Dismayed by the school district’s actions, this was not the first time Jody alleged she’s had to deal with racism while attending school in Dover. A resident of Wingdale, Jody, 17, said she’s been in the district for 12 years and “not once did they handle racism [properly] in the school.” Jody’s family is from Jamaica; she is a natural born citizen.

Recalling with vivid detail each incident that has cemented her belief of racism, she shared stories of the harassment and discrimination she’s experienced at Dover, from being called the “n-word” in seventh-grade to being told by her classmates to go back to where she came from during an eighth-grade lesson on slavery. In her sophomore year at Dover High School, Jody said a teacher denied her admittance in Honors English because of her accent. Later, in her high school Jody said she and four of her friends decided to wear black on the school’s Red, White and Blue Day and they were harassed by the other students as a result. 

Though the incidents span several years, what ultimately ties them together is the fact that, according to Jody, the school district did nothing to address her complaints. 

Regarding her decision to pay homage to Black Lives Matter in her senior mural, Jody explained that she’s been passionate about BLM for many years. Having seen the video of George Floyd’s death, she said she was heartbroken by the Minneapolis police officers’ brutality and by the similarities between Floyd’s death and Eric Garner’s death in 2014 in New York City. Just like Floyd, Garner was heard repeating the words, “I can’t breathe,” as a police officer held him in a chokehold. In Jody’s eyes, these similarities show little has changed in the country in the last six years.

Along with featuring a resistance fist as a symbol of solidarity, she said she wanted to include the names of individuals in the black community who have died with the years of their births and deaths in her mural.

“Everything I’ve learned from Black history did not come from Dover,” she said. “It came from myself… I wanted people to be able to open their eyes and see what’s happening in the Black community, but it was sad because I was never able to finish it.”

With help from her friend, Dover High School junior Celianna Cardwell, Jody painted her mural on Tuesday, May 26. She had been planning to include more names in her mural when she received a call from the district the following day, Wednesday, May 27. When she asked why she needed to get rid of her painting, Jody said the school told her that it was political and therefore not allowed; she was offered a chance to take photos before it was painted over.

On Wednesday afternoon, Jody went to the school to take photos of her mural only to find that it had already been repainted.

“Honestly, I was shocked, but I really wasn’t surprised at all,” Jody said. “The school has proven in the past not to be there for our Black students and minorities. I was very hurt, of course, but I wasn’t surprised that the school did this.”

She called the school and asked why they had offered her the chance to photograph the mural when it had already been repainted. When the school asked her what could be done about it, Jody said she told them it was disrespectful, which resulted in an argument as to whether or not the school’s actions were racist.

As superintendent of the Dover Union Free School District, Michael Tierney explained that the intent of the driveway paintings is for seniors to “celebrate graduation, highlight their accomplishments, boast next steps in their lives and show gratitude for people who have supported or inspired them.” 

He said he determined that Jody’s painting was not in accordance with the parameters the school district applies to this senior privilege. 

When asked if other student murals have been painted over in the past, Tierney said “yes,” including another mural this year.

“Over the last 20 years, I have applied these parameters many times to a variety of paintings where the content did not align with the intent and parameters we have set,” he said. “This year, we did not approve a creative painting about COVID-19 that a senior submitted for our review.”

Tierney mentioned the district has previously painted over murals that have featured negative messages about Dover schools, depictions of the Confederate flag, insults or negative comments about others and political expressions. However, according to Ariana Lasher, a graduate from the Dover High School Class of 2016, students have previously been allowed to wear Confederate flag accessories and attach Confederate flags to their vehicles. Though she recalled instances in which people were upset by those symbols, Lasher said nothing was done about them.

“I think that covering up her painting was more to prevent outrage from those people than for her to have her message,” Lasher said.

On Friday morning, May 29, Jody and her father met with Tierney and a few members of the Dover High School faculty at the high school to talk about why the school district painted over her mural. Reading aloud from a six-page document, Jody said she talked about racism in the schools and provided the personnel with context for her mural. She explained that her mural was meant to be a memorial to pay respect to those who were killed unjustly and inhumanely and that getting rid of the mural was disrespectful.

Tierney mentioned on a later date that he has held meetings with Jody and her family to discuss his decision, listen to her perspective and work to find a solution. He said he apologized to Jody that, due to COVID-19, the school district may not have provided all of the senior class with clear guidelines on the parameters for the driveway paintings. Furthermore, he said he told her he personally greed with her BLM message, that he was proud to see her advocating for change and that he hoped to continue meeting with her and her family to come to a solution.

“These are important conversations that we need to be having, now more than ever,” Tierney said, “and I am committed to listening to the voices of our students and those in our community to determine the appropriate forum to hold these crucial discussions.”

Since then, Jody has been dedicating her time to educating people on the BLM movement and working with similar causes. With help from Lasher, she has been distributing signs around Dover Plains to raise awareness of Black Lives Matter. They’ve also organized an online event to encourage residents to paint or draw a resistance fist on their driveways or windows. Running through Saturday, June 13, the event can be found on Facebook under “Paint with Jody#BlackLivesMatter.”

“I think it’s very important to have your local community involved,” Lasher said. “I think everything should start at home for you; it shows there isn’t just racism in cities, it could be in your small farm town like Dover Plains. If you’re not starting in your own home, where are you starting?”

When asked if she had any anxieties about the coming year, Jody said she was concerned not just about her own personal safety but also Celianna’s safety. Since Celianna is also Black, Jody said she was afraid that her friend might face a lot of backlash and hate at school. 

Regarding her own personal safety, Jody said, “I’m a bit scared because I live in a pretty Republican, racist town and I pretty much pissed off a lot of people in this town.”

Yet for all her fears about the future and the uncertainties about what could happen, Jody shared how some good has come out of her meeting with the school district administration, as Tierney has asked her what he can do to address racism. Hoping to talk with Tierney again at some point, Jody said she’d like to talk with about instituting a Black history curriculum in the school district, perhaps even organizing assemblies that focus on dealing with racism. 

Jody was asked how her experience has shaped her and what she’ll take with her when she graduates from high school this month. Calling the story of her mural an example of society trying to oppress young Black voices, she said it’s made her want to speak about the Black Lives Matter movement even more.

“This is just the beginning,” Jody said, “and there will be more battles to come and I plan on taking it with me wherever I go.”

Meanwhile, on Monday, June 8, Tierney posted on the district website a response to a recent Poughkeepsie Journal article about the mural, which he said “sensationalized” the issue and gave a one-sided view, as he said have various social media posts.

“… many of these ugly messages have been directed at Ms. Angelis, the principal of Dover High School. She, herself, is a person of color who supports inclusion and tolerance,” wrote the superintendent. “I understand and appreciate that there are many people who do not agree with my decision. However, I have always subscribed to the belief that school premises and activities are generally not the appropriate forum for political expression.”

Tierney’s letter, in its entirety, can be found at www.doverschools.org.