LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The shroud has been lifted from a University of Kentucky mural that had drawn complaints from some students due to its depiction of black workers.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that when the cover was removed from the Memorial Hall mural, it revealed a new sign providing context for the painting.
The sign describes the mural's history, its format and concerns voiced about it over the years. In a blog post, UK President Eli Capilouto says the mural is now viewed through a modern prism.
Capilouto ordered the mural covered in November 2015 after a group of black students told him the piece was demeaning because of scenes of black workers — possibly slaves — planting tobacco, black musicians playing for white dancers and a Native American with a tomahawk.
