On Monday, a group of Southington residents gathered outside of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. racial equity mural on North Main Street to bring light to what they are calling an injustice.
“Today I stand in resistance and in grief for the kids whose pictures are coming down off that mural and what that says to them,” Southington resident Christina Rodriguez Simms said.
The mural celebrates Black children who live in town and is part of a larger statewide mural project, involving 39 communities, that honors the life of MLK.
“To me, it [the mural] was a sign of hope, it was a sign of coming together, it was a sign of unity. It was an opportunity for the community to say out loud, we are not an all-white community, and we are proud of that. It says to our Black and brown family members that live here in this town, whose kids are on this memorial, we see you and you belong,” Rodriguez Simms said.
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Workers started the process of removing the mural on Monday morning. Building co-owner Nancy Serafino said her husband Ron Serafino and herself had a contract to keep the mural on display for three years. When the agreement expired, Serafino said the couple started talking about giving new artwork an opportunity to shine.
“The content had nothing to do with it being removed, we were fine with it all this time. There is no racism, at least not in my family,” building co-owner Nancy Serafino said.
Residents said they would have liked to be included in conversations with the co-owners about how the mural could have been preserved before a final decision was made.
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“It could have been handled differently, it could have been handled with a conversation and a dialogue,” Rodriguez Simms said.
“Yes, he [Ron Serafino] chose not to talk to anyone because it's a done deal and he felt he was attacked this morning when someone said something awful,” Serafino said.
The new mural will pay tribute to pets who have passed away in town and will fundraise money for Friends of Southington Animal Control. This choice by the Serafino family has also caused frustration.
“Literally erasing Black and brown people from public view in favor of animals, it might not have been intentional to do it that way, but that is what is happening and its gross,” Southington resident Vanessa Hawke said.
Serafino said she feels bad about the emotions this has caused some local neighbors.
Meanwhile, longtime resident Bill McDougall said he is in favor of the new art piece that will honor his dog Casey, and he supports the Serafino couple in their decision.
“To be honest with you, I don't think it is any of their business. It’s private property,” Bill McDougall, of Southington, said.
Town Manager Alex Ricciardone said in a statement:
"Town staff administration does not get involved in private property owners’ rights unless there is a requirement for some sort of town action, for example a building or zoning permit, or some type of violation, such as a zoning, health or blight violation. As there was no town action needed when the mural was originally created, there is no town action needed for anything regarding the mural now."
