University Mural of Malcolm X to Be Removed
San Francisco State University’s president on Tuesday ordered the removal of a mural honoring Malcolm X that depicts Stars of David with skulls and crossbones, dollar signs and the phrase “African Blood.”
President Robert Corrigan said his strong convictions about the need to combat anti-Semitism led him to demand the removal of the artwork.
“If we were to allow the mural to remain as it is, we would be contributing to a hostile campus environment, one which says to students: ‘We tolerate intolerance; we are silent in the face of bigotry,’ ” Corrigan said.
The Student Union Governing Board on Tuesday failed twice to vote on whether to continue displaying the artwork, which was defaced last week and later repainted.
Senay Dennis, the artist who created the 10-foot-square mural, insists his work is not meant to offend Jews but instead represents Malcolm X’s anti-Israel sentiments.
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