Vandals defaced the mural created by Houston-based artist David Maldonado with racist language, crude drawings, and other offensive symbols.
Activists and leaders of Houston’s Fifth Ward district are speaking out after discovering an iconic mural in the neighborhood has been defaced with racist and offensive graffiti, KHOU 11’s Anayeli Ruiz reported.
It’s unclear when vandals ruined the artwork displayed on shipping containers at the intersection of Clinton and Jensen Drives. But a local resident found the racist language, phallic graphics and upside-down crosses on June 1, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Ryan Nickerson. The graffiti has since been covered with gray paint.
The mural was commissioned by Houston-based real estate firm Midway for its upcoming mixed-use East River development, according to Dan Joyce with East End Houston. It was intended to reflect „the power of the bayou and its ability to connect the city’s diverse communities.“
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Per Nickerson’s reporting, Fifth Ward was a predominantly Black community in 1950, housing more than 44,000 residents.
