OLYMPIA, Wash. — A Black History Month display at Boston Harbor Elementary School has been vandalized more than half a dozen times in the past two years, but the school’s principal says the display isn’t going anywhere.
"When students ask me, ‘Mrs. Brotherton, what are we going to do? Are we going to put it back up?’ My answer will always be 'Yes,'" said Principal Jen Brotherton.
For the month of February in 2021 and 2022, the PTA and staff at the Olympia elementary have turned the school’s front fence into a reader board.
The goal: to make it clear that Black lives matter to this school and its students and staff.
PTA co-President Peter Vu didn’t think the sign would cause controversy, but the cups that make up the display have been taken down multiple times, most recently on Tuesday.
"This morning all of the cups were knocked down, except for matter, and Jesus was put in place of Black Lives,” said Brotherton.
Brotherton came up with the idea for the display in 2021 and said despite the vandalism, there was no talk of trying something different in 2022.
“No, there was talk about, ‘Let’s make it stronger. Let’s make it better. Let’s make it an event to celebrate,’” said Brotherton.
Security cameras haven’t captured the vandalism yet. But Brotherton is more concerned about teaching her students to be resilient than catching someone.
"We will continue to put this up all month as it continues to get knocked down,” she said. “That's what we're teaching our kids, that's what it's all about: being resilient."