New murals challenge presidential legacies

Recently unveiled murals of Monticello and Mount Vernon at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art capture the contradiction found in two slave-owning founders of American freedom. Created by artist Kerry Marshall, the murals depict the presidents' homes in vivid color but a closer look reveals the figures of slaves hidden among the whimsical landscapes.

"George Washington was the leader in America's first struggle for freedom and Thomas Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence, which states 'All men are created equal' yet both were slaveowners," Marshall told the Los Angeles Times. "That's a contradiction that I find hard to ignore. One that I think should always be a part of their narrative."