In July 2020, the Lekhi family home in Summerland was targeted with racist graffiti, and rocks were thrown through the windows of their home in what police described as hate-motivated vandalism. Similar hateful graffiti was also discovered in Summerland’s Memorial Park bandshell that same month. These incidents were well documented by local and provincial media outlets. Very quickly, there was an overwhelming outpouring of support towards the Lekhi family from the community of Summerland, as members spoke out against these acts. Emails and letters of encouragement also came in from around the province and country, as well as donations to help with clean up. Instead, the Lekhi family decided to direct these donations to a GoFundMe page they created, with the intention of setting a fundraising goal to go toward a “mural, a large sign or another eternal symbol that can be placed in the community.” The purpose of the mural would ultimately be to serve as a “symbol of unity, a celebration of diversity and a reflection of the positivity that resonates in Summerland.”
During the past school year, School District 67 has partnered with the Lekhi family through an Anti-Racism Working group. The focus of the working group has been to enact a process where the Lekhi family could work with the District to engage an artist to create a mural or other art installation on district property, that celebrates the community of Summerland and its diversity. The Anti-Racism Working group has also been created to formalize a focused and ongoing anti-racism dialogue in the school district. The Anti-Racism Working Group includes representation from the Board of Trustees, Principals and Vice-Principals Association, Okanagan Skaha Teachers Union (OSTU), and Canadian Union of Professional Employees (CUPE), as well members of the district’s senior management team.
Today, the Anti-Racism Working Group is pleased to release a Call to Artists that supports the Lekhi family’s initial intention to create a mural. School District 67 will make the east wall of Summerland Middle School available for this installation.
