April 13, 2020 / By mobanmarket
NEWTON, MA — For years, there’s been a welcome mural above the front desk of Newton’s Gath Pool. But it wasn’t until last summer that one observant child noticed that perhaps the mural wasn’t doing its job.
“Sometimes it takes a pair of fresh eyes to see what extra steps can be taken to make sure we have a welcoming environment,” said Cedar Pruitt, mother of 9-year-old Pearl.
In August, she and Pearl were headed into the Gath Pool and passed the front desk when her daughter noticed something.
“She just looked up and said, ‘Everyone in that mural is white, and that must not be welcoming for all children,'” Pruitt said.
It was right there in front of them the whole time.
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“And I could not believe that I had not really noticed it before,” Pruitt said. “It’s the kind of thing that falls into the background.”
That day, Pearl decided to write a note to city officials about it:
“Hi, I noticed that the painting above the front desk at the Gath Pool in Newton only had white people in it. To be welcoming to everyone it should include people with other skin colors too. I hope you will change it.”
They sent it off and then checked back in about six weeks later.
Although it’s unclear if the Parks and Recreation department was spurred by the girl’s note or if plans were already in the works, when Pruitt heard back the message was clear: Officials agreed and enlisted someone to help. Patch has reached out to the Parks and Recreation department for comment.
Around the same time that Pearl wrote her note, Horace Mann Elementary School art teacher Michael Dailey, who also works for the S.P.A.C.E. Camp and covers the pool classes at the end of the day, was waiting for students one day last year.
“I just couldn’t stop staring at the old mural and it’s lack of people of color,” he told Patch. So, he brought it up to a friend who works for the city and the pool.
“He knows I love art, I told him I’d like to make a new one, and he was on board,” said Dailey.
So the art teacher set to work designing a diverse mural and planed to install it before opening day at the pool the following season. Pruitt and her daughter were elated.
And then one day at Horace Mann, Pruitt overheard that Dailey had planned to donate the supplies, time and art to help make it happen.
“I just thought that there was no way that should happen,” Pruitt said. So, she took to GoFundMe — with Dailey’s permission — in the hopes that folks might agree that it was worth paying him for his art.
They did. In less than 48 hours, she said, the GoFundMe raised $2,000, some $500 more than goal.
“It was just such a fast response and it really affirmed my belief that Newton is an inclusive community and is excited to show it,” said Pruitt.
The entire pot of money went to Dailey, who used it to buy supplies from Home Depot to create the mural. The new mural was originally planned to be unveiled when the Gath Pool opened for the season Monday, but it’s been a busy end of year for Dailey, who moved to the Carr Building along with the rest of the school, ahead of planned renovations.
Dailey, who grew up in Newton, expects to install the mural as soon as he can.
“Representation is important, even is something as small as a mural,” he said. “So this is a small way for me to celebrate Newton’s diversity and give back to my community.”
The big lesson for Pearl?
“Your words can make a difference,” said Pruitt.
GoFundMe is a Patch partner.
Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at [email protected] or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).
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