Saturday night, November 22, 2025, between 11:06 and 11:22 pm, two men vandalized the set that Theatre Oxford volunteers spent all day building and painting at The Powerhouse Community Arts Center.
Saturday night, November 22, 2025, between 11:06 and 11:22 pm, two men vandalized the set that Theatre Oxford volunteers spent all day building and painting at The Powerhouse Community Arts Center. They removed one of the pieces and left it in the parking lot, covered in racist comments—something the University of Life Church discovered early Sunday morning.
The damaged items were part of the set for Theatre Oxford’s upcoming production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Because the set was defaced with inappropriate language and racist slurs, the children in the show were unable to rehearse with it on Sunday night.
The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council works with local arts organizations, hosting events 360 days a year, creating programs and supporting groups like Theatre Oxford. Volunteers give their time, creativity, and heart to build spaces that strengthen and celebrate our community. Acts like this don’t just damage property—they hurt the volunteers, the children, and the partners who make our arts community thrive.
Please share this video to help identify the individuals responsible. And as we enter the holiday season, we ask you to keep the arts close to your heart. Let’s not allow a few Grinchs to overshadow the joy, creativity, and connection the arts bring to Oxford.
UPDATE November 26, 2025: Oxford MS Police Department alerted the Yoknapawpha Arts Council that they have identified the individuals.
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