The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County recently opened its newest wing on November 17th, 2024, which includes a new entrance, cafe and gift shop. Though the museum has many entrances, this one stands apart from the rest – not only because of its modern architecture, but because of the way it fosters community.

This new entrance is referred to as the “NHM Commons,” a communal lounge area which connects to the new wing. While a ticket must be purchased to see the regular exhibits, guests can enjoy the Commons without for free, engaging with one of the museum’s most revolutionary (and controversial) exhibits to date.

The piece in question is L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective by Barbara Carrasco, which hangs proudly along one wall of the Commons. This eighty-foot-long mural was commissioned by the Community Redevelopment Agency in 1981, and illustrates the extensive history of Los Angeles beginning with the Ancient People in the “cavemen times”, and ending in 1981. 

Carrasco paints the progression of Los Angeles in fifty-one small scenes – sparing no expense when it comes to the violence, oppression, and cruelty that have defined our shared history. When the mural was completed, the Agency deemed it “too controversial”, and Carrasco was asked to remove fourteen of the scenes she had painted. Some of these scenes that were almost eliminated included the depiction of the 1943 Zoot Suit Riots, the killing of civil rights activist Ruben Salazar, and prisoners crammed into a Japanese internment camp – events that were certainly controversial, but also integral to this city’s legacy. Carrasco refused to censor her mural, and as a result the artwork was suppressed and hidden from the public for over 40 years. L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective had only been publicly seen three times, before finding its new home in the NHM Commons room of the Natural History Museum. 

It’s inspiring to see that the Natural History Museum is providing a public home for this masterpiece, bravely reclaiming this “controversial” mural, and fighting so that it won’t be lost to history. What’s more, the display is accompanied by a touch screen computer that lets you click on each scene and explore the history behind it, digging into the motivations that suppressed this artwork. In this, the museum confronts the tumultuous history of this piece by accepting the past rather than hiding it, a stark contrast to what was done to this mural for so long.

By making this controversial mural the focal point of the NHM Commons room, the museum encourages visitors to reconnect with their history at a community level, connecting with our flawed past and learning how we’ve persevered to build beyond those obstacles. As a student visiting the new wing, I sincerely enjoyed my time engaging with these 51 scenes and learning about the controversy that kept this beautiful piece hidden for so long, and I hope that others visiting this mural will find the same sense of community and inspiration that I’ve discovered in this art.