Committee members discussed a proposed donation: a 44-by-36 inch canvas portrait of Toni Morrison painted over excerpts from W. E. B. Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folk, offered in memory of longtime educator Vernice Jackson.

The committee said the work is a one‑of‑a‑kind canvas by the artist Romeo Mivikannan (based in Toulouse, France), and that donors have already delivered the piece. Members discussed possible institutional placements, including the middle school auditorium and the high school library, and noted the donation must proceed through City Council acceptance and then to the school board because the school board controls building display in school facilities.

Content and audience concerns: the committee asked the school contacts to review legibility and appropriateness because the painted canvas includes textual excerpts that are not always fully readable. Members noted that Toni Morrison’s works and other historical texts have been subject to curricular or library challenges in other contexts; the committee recommended ensuring school leadership and the school board review the material before final placement.

Display protections and interpretation: members recommended protective mounting (for example, behind museum‑grade acrylic/plexiglass) and clear explanatory signage telling why the work was donated and who Vernice Jackson was, to ensure viewers understand the piece and its connection to the community. Members suggested the high school may provide greater curricular alignment and visibility to students who study Morrison’s work.

Next steps: staff will prepare the committee’s standard donation evaluation write‑up for council consideration, confirm which school site is preferred by the donors and school leadership, and recommend protective mounting and interpretive signage. If the school board declines the donation for school facilities, the committee said it will identify alternative public locations.