Change.org

More Than 40K People Sign Petition to Diversify Naperville Mural

The man who created a Change.org petition said he calls the mural the "wall of exclusion"

NBCUniversal, Inc.

More than 41,000 people have signed an online petition to diversify a mural in downtown Naperville.

The mural, "Naperville Loves a Parade," which is located in an alley off of Main Street between Jackson and Jefferson avenues, shows dozens of people in a crowd, but some say the mural should better reflect the diversity of the city.

Tyler Marcus, the creator of the Change.org petition, said he refers to the mural as the "wall of exclusion."

"I don’t think it should matter on you know who could be afford to be on a wall or not," he said. "I think everyone deserves to be represented."

Multiple residents who talked to NBC 5 said they agree it's time for an update.

"Our town does have some diversity in it, and the more we can depict that diversity, I think we should." resident Kimberly Nierman said.

Century Walk Corporation, the group that commissioned the mural said it includes diversity, but changes to the artwork can be made.

"While I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, I do believe that there can always be improvements and enhancements as we move forward," said Brand Bobosky, chairman of Century Walk Corporation.

If changes are made, it's possible the mural could be extended to the side of the building.

While Marcus said he's hoping for a solution, in the meantime, messages have been posted to the mural in support of recent protests.

"Black lives matter, and I want my family and my kids to live by that rule," resident Lauren Ferguson said.

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