Racist graffiti was painted on the South Tacoma Branch, including on a mural on one side of the building that depicted Black people reading books. White supremacist symbols and racist slurs were painted on the mural and on another wall by the building’s entrance, library system spokesperson Mariesa Bus said.

The library is working with the Tacoma Police Department in the investigation to determine if the graffiti constitutes a hate crime.

Dionne Bonner, a local artist, created the mural with the community’s input last April. The mural is designed to reflect the diverse families and children who live in the area while raising awareness about the library,