Harriet Tubman school vandalized with racist and homophobic graffiti

City councillors Robin McPherson and Karrie Porter are calling out hatred after racist and homophobic slurs were spray painted on Harriet Tubman Public School in St. Catharines.

The St. Patrick's ward councillors were alerted by a resident Sunday that the Henry Street school had been vandalized and arrived to find spray paint on brick walls, windows, the digital sign and the Harriet Tubman statue.

It was so shocking because it was the entire perimeter," McPherson said. The whole outside of the building. There wasn't a single side that didn't have something written on it. And then to see the statue. You kind of felt sick."

The graffiti included the N-word, homophobic slurs and Black people" spray painted in orange and blue. The bronze statue had paint on the face and homophobic and racial slurs sprayed on the base.

McPherson said graffiti was also sprayed on a school bus and transit van in the parking lot St. Catharines Collegiate a couple of blocks away and at a house on Louisa Street.

Police confirmed Sunday they are investigating the incidents.

McPherson said the school principal was on site with custodial staff, teachers and support staff and they were painting over the offensive language until the school board could do a proper removal. Most of the damage was not visible or covered up Sunday afternoon.

Staff was there scraping off the paint from the windows. They were painting over what they could to hide it but kids were already there. Kids were already coming by on bikes saying, What? This is wrong. These people should be punished,'" McPherson said.

They just kept pointing, it's there and it's there and it's there.' You feel bad. Kids shouldn't have to see that and then some parents went by and they were just shaking their heads. You can see they were visibly upset. Their kids go to this school."

District School Board of Niagara spokeswoman Kim Sweeney said facilities staff covered the hateful and offensive graffiti as quickly as possible with a special paint that doesn't allow the graffiti to bleed through. They'll be back in the coming weeks to remove it permanently.

Because the sculpture of Tubman is such a special piece, she said staff didn't want to damage it by trying to remove the paint themselves. The board will be consulting with experts who know how to restore bronze artworks.

We are thankful to the wonderful neighbours of Harriet Tubman Public School for reporting this horrific graffiti to us this morning," Sweeney said in an email.

McPherson said it was disheartening to see the vandalism after the celebration to mark the renaming of Centennial Gardens after Richard Pierpoint, one of Niagara's earliest Black settlers and Butler's Ranger.

Both McPherson and Porter were at the event Saturday which celebrated Pierpoint's life and the importance of Black history being recognized.

The pair put out a joint statement on Porter's Twitter account Sunday.

Although we feel devastated today, especially after the wonderful event we attended yesterday in honour of the renaming of Richard Pierpoint Park, this strengthens our resolve to end violence, racism, homophobia and discrimination because it should have no place in our community.

We are deeply committed to working with our partners in the community and at all levels of government to create a safe and inclusive city."

The Harriet Tubman statue is one of two likenesses of the famed freedom seeker and Underground Railroad conductor in St. Catharines - both of which have been vandalized in less than a year.

A bust of Tubman which stood in the courtyard of the Salem Chapel British Methodist Church where she worshipped more than 160 years ago was damaged in October 2021. Captured on church video cameras, a man spit on the statue and then knocked it to the ground.

A court heard in March that the man, of no fixed address, was having a mental health episode. He was sentenced to five months in jail for mischief over $5,000 and other unrelated charges.

A new bust by artist Frank Rekrut has been created and will be unveiled at the church this year.

Rekrut, a former St. Catharines resident who now lives in Florence, Italy, also made the life-size statue of Tubman which was commissioned by the District School Board of Niagara for the opening of the new school in February 2016.

Karena Walter is a St. Catharines-based reporter, primarily covering City Hall for the Standard. Reach her via email: karena.walter@niagaradailies.com