Move over Betsy Ross — there’s a new historical figure in town and his name is President Obama. That’s the attitude of a Michigan school that updated its “Hall of Heroes” pictorial display of traditional American historical icons, and subbed in the likes of Mr. Obama, Walt Disney and civil rights author Maya Angelou.
Other substitutions of the walls of Ypsilanti’s South Arbor Charter Academy middle and elementary schools: Oprah and J.K. Rowling of “Harry Potter” fame have taken over where Albert Einstein, Gandhi, Mother Teresa and various astronauts used to stand, The Blaze reported.
Parents aren’t pleased.
“This is no longer a hall of heroes,” parent Craig Bergman said, to Fox News’ Todd Starnes. “Now we have a hall of celebrities.”
Mr. Berman said he’s worried that children attending the school will soon have a warped view of what constitutes a hero — and he’s not alone in that assessment, The Blaze reported.
“My biggest concern is my kid seeing these murals for the next four years — thinking they represent what a hero is,” said parent Todd Holliday, in the news outlet. “They might be successful business people, but they aren’t really heroes.”
South Arbor Charter Academy spokeswoman Jennifer Hoff told Fox News host that officials were only trying to modernize.
“Heroes Hall has been a part of the school’s fabric for years,” she said, The Blaze reported. “In fact, the old mural had been on the wall for at least 11 years. As with all things over time, it was showing its age from the activities of being an active school and needed some repair.”
But Mr. Berman said the replacement isn’t balanced.
“Previously, it … respected a lot of different thoughts,” he told Fox News. “Instead, it’s become more of a political issue. There’s definitely a certain genre of pictures here.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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