School apologizes for making (10 year old) black student a 'slave'

[Turborama]

Source: AP

Posted Mar 04, 2011 @ 10:30 AM

The mother of a black Ohio fifth grader assigned to play a slave for a social studies lesson says the school should be more sensitive.

Principal Scott Schmidt of Chapelfield Elementary in Gahanna called Aneka Burton to apologize for what happened to her son, Nikko, on Wednesday. Columbus station WBNS-TV reports Schmidt said no harm was intended.

Ten-year-old Nikko says the class was randomly divided into “masters” and “slaves” and that the only other black student got to be a master. Burton says her son refused to take part in a simulated slave auction and was sent back to his desk.

Burton says she appreciates the apology, but the exercise was inappropriate.

Read more: http://www.cantonrep.com/newsnow/x256214444/School-apologizes-for-making-black-student-a-slave

[Brickbat]

1. After the old "blue eyes/brown eyes" study, I don't know why these kinds of activities are still

brought up. Dividing a class into imaginary hierarchies like this is rarely a good idea.

[RKP5637]

2. Yet another WTF moment. The stupid is really prevalent. n/t

[treestar]

3. I can get the educational value of a reenactment but

this is obviously sensitive. Let the black student pick what part he wants to play.

[realisticphish]

4. this

I think it IS an interesting experience, if handled properly. But either he should have been able to choose, or everyone should have been selected randomly (names from a hat, etc)

[treestar]

6. Maybe it's something they should avoid

Show a film or something, and reenact the debates in Congress instead.

Depends on the kid.

[No Elephants]

8. OP says selection was random.

[realisticphish]

13. ok, I missed that

[joeglow3]

12. It was random. The other black student was a "master."

I think it is a worthwhile experience, but does need to be carefully done.

[woodsprite]

5. Why am I not surprised this is in Ohio? n/t

[cosmicone]

11. I am shocked it is not in South Carolina! n/t

[realisticphish]

14. It's in frigging Gahanna

a rich suburb, not Hooterville

[BenzoDia]

7. Kudos to the fifth grader for not participating.

[No Elephants]

9. IMO, there is no way to have done this "correctly." Heaven only knows what

emotions and ideas a simulated slave auction would stir up in 10 year olds, whether they were portraying buyers or "property" being bought. (People sold in auctions were not always slaves just prior to the auction, although they were captives.)

On the other hand, I totally get a teacher's desire to do have students think/feel a very tiny bit of what those up for sale must have felt. this. Not sure why anyone would want any of the kids to identify with buyers, though.


Very complex--no easy answers.

P.S. As usual, AP's headline is bs. The kid was never "made" a slave by anyone, even in simulation. He refused to participate and his refusal was honored.

[woo me with science]

10. I dislike these kinds of enactments, but not because of fear for children's psyches.

I am not in the least worried about scarring a child for life by having him or her pretend to be a slave. Children are not hothouse flowers who will be permanently scarred by a "pretend" experience.

Rather, I think any classroom re-enactment will necessarily trivialize the horror of what slavery actually was and waste valuable teaching time in the process.

[speltwon]

15. That's almost British in it's understatement

Yes, I would agree. INAPPROPRIATE!

[MichiganVote]

16. In what world does this even begin to make sense?

[WorseBeforeBetter]

18. The same world in which this makes sense.

Lee DSS workers want boss to apologize for offensive e-mail
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/9212108/

"Some Lee County Department of Social Services employees on Thursday criticized their boss for sending an e-mail to them this week that they consider racist. The e-mail, which was sent to everyone in the department, included an image of a person hanging from a tree.

"It took me awhile to get myself together," DSS worker Tamekia Dowdy said. "I was shocked. I was insulted. I felt very numb. My thoughts began to race back to those times when people were hanging by trees."

snip

Dowdy said she understands that the e-mail was meant as a joke about DSS auditors. The subject line refers to someone leaving a computer on while making copies."

And this gem from the county manager...

"Crumpton sent her an e-mail in which he said he didn't find the image racist. "Of course, I am not in the shoes of those that would be offended by this type of picture," Crumpton wrote in the e-mail. "Perceptions are reality in the public world, so we all should be more concerned about the impact of what we say and do.""

[plumbob]

17. Well good, let's not teach anything about slavery because it never really

happened, right? While we're at it, let's not teach anything about the Ku Klux Klan, Jim Crow, lynchings, massacres of Native Americans or the attempted extinction of the buffalo.

Let's not touch on racism, lack of equal opportunity, or the burden of generational poverty.

No point in discussing or teaching any of these things - they're not real, and they make somebody feel bad.

That Holocaust thingy? Probably out, too. Look at how depressing it is.

[provis99]

19. Congratulations! You win for stupidest comment of the Day!

Here's your prize!