Lynching coloring assignment for 2nd Grader

aerialaerial Posts: 2,319
edited March 2013 in A Moving Train
Lynching coloring assignment for Atlantic Beach second grader spurs investigation
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-03-01/story/lynching-coloring-assignment-atlantic-beach-second-grader-spurs#comment-form

This happened in my town. I don't understand why the parents don't hold the teacher responsible. This could give a kid nightmares.....

A coloring assignment sent home to an Atlantic Beach Elementary second grader during Black History Month featuring minstrel caricatures of African-Americans, blackface and a lynching has prompted an investigation by the Duval County school system.
“It was just highly inappropriate use of imaging for coloring for second graders,” said James Hill, father of a student who received the material.
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the materials “raised immediate concerns that warranted an investigation.”
It’s unclear how many students received the material.
The assignment came from the website edHelper.com, which said the materials were suitable for eighth- and ninth-graders.
Hill’s son’s second-grade teacher is Teresa Flores.
Flores has not returned emails for comment.
Hill said he and his wife, who is the “room parent” in Flores’ class, don’t hold the teacher responsible for the assignment. He said he believed the assignment either “snuck” by Flores or was handed out by an assistant. Instead, he blames edHelper.com for the material.
“Any scene depicting a murder of any kind just seems inappropriate for coloring,” he said.
EdHelper.com, which has not returned inquiries for comment, does not identify the assignment as a coloring exercise. The 13-page document uses drawings and text to address the history of slavery and Jim Crow, a term used for what was once government-sanctioned segregation in the South.
Vitti said the district’s policy allows for teachers to use outside resources for instruction as long as it aligns with the standards.
EdHelper.com faced criticism in 2011 for a lesson given to some Georgia third-graders on immigration. One of the lesson’s questions asked how the U.S. deals with “illegal aliens.” Among the multiple choice answers were the U.S. kills them, another said the U.S. shoots them into outer space.
Hill said he and his wife aren’t sure who provided the material to his son or how many students received the assignment.
In early February, the couple emailed their concerns to Atlantic Beach principal Kimberley Wright about the issue. Hill said the principal responded the next day that the matter was under investigation.
Wright did not return a call to the Times-Union for comment.
The investigation began on Tuesday after Melissa Nelson, whom Hill’s wife showed the assignment to, sent an email to Vitti and all seven School Board members.
“It’s crude, it’s disgusting,” Nelson said, whose granddaughter is a fourth-grader at the school. “It’s everything we don’t want to teach our children. You’re suppose to have children color this man hanging in the tree?”
Nelson said the school and Flores are both responsible for ensuring appropriate materials are used with students.
Elnora Atkins, chairwoman of the education committee for the local NAACP branch, said the material was offensive and wasn’t age appropriate.
“I didn’t know they still did things like that in schools in today,” Atkins said. “Even though it happened you can still portray it and not be as negative as these pictures.”
The investigation, Vitti said, should conclude early next week and a recommendation should come no later than the School Board’s April meeting.
“The greater community can expect swift and fair disciplinary action once I receive and review the complete investigation,” he said.
Hill said he just wants there to be a system that ensures younger students have age-appropriate instructional material.



Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013 ... mment-form#ixzz2MtxBWl6q
“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” Abraham Lincoln
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Comments

  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 49,962
    It is inappropriate... but I don't think it actually bothers me. Clearly it was an attempt to really make an impact on the impression the kids have of American history and what happened to black people until recently. It's a poignant image, and I'm sure it made a real impression on the kids, and I don't think that's a bad bad thing. I personally don't think that 7 or 8 years old is too young to start learning about the harsh realities of the world, especially not within an historical context. Hell, I was that age when Roots was on TV. My whole family watched it. I did not have nightmares. I was horrified, but not in a bad way - I was learning about the real world and real history... I was starting to make the connections between the two. The concept of the evils of racism and subjugation were NOT beyond me at that age then, and it's not beyond kids that age now. At all. I think people really underestimate what kids at that age are able to conceive and handle intellectually, and I wish people would stop it - it's dumbing down the children.

    That said, colouring in such an image seems particularly macabre, and the teacher is a fool, since I find it hard to believe that anyone wouldn't know how parents would react to that this day and age.... maybe she was trying to get fired. :fp:
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • aerialaerial Posts: 2,319
    I just feel children have a right to the "age of innocents". They should be taught to be kind, and learn to be respectable. At the age of 6 7 8 9 10 ....they have the right be innocent as they will never be able to live this way again.....why take that away? ---They have plenty of time to learn the horrors of history and life.
    “We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” Abraham Lincoln
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 49,962
    aerial wrote:
    I just feel children have a right to the "age of innocents". They should be taught to be kind, and learn to be respectable. At the age of 6 7 8 9 10 ....they have the right be innocent as they will never be able to live this way again.....why take that away? ---They have plenty of time to learn the horrors of history and life.
    There is a huge difference between innocence and ignorance. I don't think it's ever too early to start learning about the world, human nature, and everything else. A child can have knowledge and insight and innocence at the same time. I think that your concept of innocence here seems simplistic and somewhat imaginary, no offence. Also, I think that keeping reality from children and restricting their exposure to the world just because you have some utopian idea of childish innocence seems somewhat irresponsible. I don't believe in protecting kids from the real world (I DO believe in appropriate limits of course - I'm not talking all or nothing here). I think it stunts or at least delays their emotional and intellectual development. I think we should be honest and open with kids, no matter what the subject is. Obviously different people have different feelings about this subject, and i unxerstand that, but I feel secure in my outlook.

    Bug I still don't think it's appropriate to give lynching scenes to kids to colour! I do, however, think its appropriate to explain in simple but honest terms that those things happened; if they are discussing Black history month in the US, and they should be, then I think they need to know those aspects of that history.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • aerialaerial Posts: 2,319
    When I was in school the last six years in history class was totally about slavery. Some how every point in history we had to discuss slavery. As a kid I got sick of it. It would be like listening to American Indian history for six years or any thing else. So I have a question.....how many classes or years does a person need to learn about slavery?
    “We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” Abraham Lincoln
  • aerial wrote:
    When I was in school the last six years in history class was totally about slavery. Some how every point in history we had to discuss slavery. As a kid I got sick of it. It would be like listening to American Indian history for six years or any thing else. So I have a question.....how many classes or years does a person need to learn about slavery?

    hmm...good question. I grew up in the west. I can remember more classes about the Indian Wars than about slavery. Maybe it depends on where we are raised?
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    aerial wrote:
    When I was in school the last six years in history class was totally about slavery.

    No they weren't.

    But you clearly have a problem with that particular subject. Why is that?
  • aerialaerial Posts: 2,319
    aerial wrote:
    When I was in school the last six years in history class was totally about slavery. Some how every point in history we had to discuss slavery. As a kid I got sick of it. It would be like listening to American Indian history for six years or any thing else. So I have a question.....how many classes or years does a person need to learn about slavery?

    hmm...good question. I grew up in the west. I can remember more classes about the Indian Wars than about slavery. Maybe it depends on where we are raised?


    You may be right......I grew up in the on the east coast. I remember going over Indian Wars in two classes.
    “We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” Abraham Lincoln
  • aerialaerial Posts: 2,319
    Byrnzie wrote:
    aerial wrote:
    When I was in school the last six years in history class was totally about slavery.

    No they weren't.

    But you clearly have a problem with that particular subject. Why is that?

    No problem with the subject. I just have a problem with going over the same subject year after year after year. It could be considered Indoctrination teaching this EVERY year.
    Schools do not go over addition and subtraction year after year. They teach it, the student learns it, and everyone moves on to the next chapter.
    “We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” Abraham Lincoln
  • BentleyspopBentleyspop Craft Beer Brewery, Colorado Posts: 10,781
    Byrnzie wrote:
    aerial wrote:
    When I was in school the last six years in history class was totally about slavery.

    No they weren't.

    But you clearly have a problem with that particular subject. Why is that?

    Do you really expect anyone on here or elsewhere to believe that from 7th-12th grade in every single history class you took that all you learned about was slavery?

    No Revolutionary war?
    No Civil War?
    No WW I
    No WW II
    No declaration of Independence or The Constitution or the Bill of Rights?
    No Vietnam War?
    No Civil Rights crusade?
    No Right to vote for women or blacks?
    No Holocaust?
    No Depression?
    No Watergate?
    No Cold War?
    No Bay of Pigs?
    and soooooo much more

    None of that??

    :fp:
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    aerial wrote:
    Byrnzie wrote:
    aerial wrote:
    When I was in school the last six years in history class was totally about slavery.

    No they weren't.

    But you clearly have a problem with that particular subject. Why is that?

    No problem with the subject. I just have a problem with going over the same subject year after year after year. It could be considered Indoctrination teaching this EVERY year.
    Schools do not go over addition and subtraction year after year. They teach it, the student learns it, and everyone moves on to the next chapter.

    You said that the last six years of school were 'totally about slavery'. They weren't. So why say it?
  • aerialaerial Posts: 2,319
    aerial wrote:
    When I was in school the last six years in history class was totally about slavery. Some how every point in history we had to discuss slavery. As a kid I got sick of it. It would be like listening to American Indian history for six years or any thing else. So I have a question.....how many classes or years does a person need to learn about slavery?

    My bad ....I meant it totally came up every year in every history class. And lasted days.....totally :D
    now why do you think that is?
    Some how every point (class) in history we had to discuss slavery.
    “We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” Abraham Lincoln
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 49,962
    Maybe you studied slavery each h year in history class because it happens to be the most shameful and monumental social and economic structure in the history of america, and its ramifications are still seen today? And because america is what it is because of the existence of slavery?.... maybe, despite everything you were taught about it, you have chosen to minimize its importance and impact in american history? Perhaps that it kept coming up in history class was a hint, but apparently you didn't get the hint for some reason?
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • peacefrompaulpeacefrompaul Posts: 25,293
    aerial wrote:
    aerial wrote:
    When I was in school the last six years in history class was totally about slavery. Some how every point in history we had to discuss slavery. As a kid I got sick of it. It would be like listening to American Indian history for six years or any thing else. So I have a question.....how many classes or years does a person need to learn about slavery?

    hmm...good question. I grew up in the west. I can remember more classes about the Indian Wars than about slavery. Maybe it depends on where we are raised?


    You may be right......I grew up in the on the east coast. I remember going over Indian Wars in two classes.

    nah... Took classes on WWII, the Holocaust, Russian History.... wasn't all about slavery... took a college class on world history.... slavery was never mentioned.
  • aerialaerial Posts: 2,319
    PJ_Soul wrote:
    Maybe you studied slavery each h year in history class because it happens to be the most shameful and monumental social and economic structure in the history of america, and its ramifications are still seen today? And because america is what it is because of the existence of slavery?.... maybe, despite everything you were taught about it, you have chosen to minimize its importance and impact in american history? Perhaps that it kept coming up in history class was a hint, but apparently you didn't get the hint for some reason?
    if they wanted to teach that slavery was bad ok, but that is not what is going on. they want white people to fell guilty or they would talk more about the fact blacks owned slaves, black Africans sold slaves to the white guy. They STILL have slavery in Africa now!
    Do we have a month about women not having the same rights as men, back in the day women were beaten and looked down on (yeah they still are but now there are laws to help protect all people from all types of abuse). Children used to have to work long hrs in dirty factories. We don't have a month about that either. Should children hate on adults for ever? But we did have lessons about all these other atrocities and then went to the next chapter, except we are stuck on the chapter about slavery.
    Why?
    Are the children taught this?
    The Abolition of Slavery

    The institution of slavery regrettably existed both in the old, classical Christian and Islamic civilizations. Yet it is to the credit of Christianity that the abolition movement took root in Great Britain, Western Europe, and the United States and brought an end to this buying and selling of human beings.

    The way in which slavery was practiced in Islamic countries had both bright and dark sides. What is regretable now is that this practice among Muslims is seldom openly discussed — as if slavery was exclusively a Western phenomenon. This deliberate silence enables Islamic propagandists in America to represent Muslims as liberators of the people of African origin, contrary to historical fact.

    What about this.....

    President Obama’s African Forebears Were Slave Traders

    In the 18th century, Muslim slavers moved into the interior of Kenya for the purpose of exploiting blood rivalries between local tribes. Muslims encouraged warring tribes, Obama Jr’s Luo ancestors included, to capture “prisoners of war” and sell them into slavery.

    Kenya tribe leaders, also exported slaves and ivory that had been exchanged by Africans from the interior for salt, cloth, beads, and metal goods. The slaves were then marched to the coast and shipped to Muslim Zanzibar (an island South of Kenya), to be traded again.

    African slaves and ivory became hugely profitable and Zanzibar Muslims grew rich on the trade. Slave trading continued despite the public outrage in Europe demanding an end to all slave trade.

    The British, eventually brought their forceful anti-slavery message directly to the Muslim Sultan.

    After years of pressure, the Sultan finally relented and agreed to ban slavery in 1847. It was not until 1876, 11 years after the American Civil War had ended, that the sale of slaves was finally prohibited in Zanzibar.

    Guess Who Bought These Slaves?

    Obama’s American Forebears Were Slave Owners

    Many people know that Democratic presidential candidate Obama Jr’s father was from Kenya and his mother from Kansas. But, (quoting a Mar.2, 2007 report in the Baltimore Sun), “an intriguing sliver of his [Obama Jr.] family history: It appears that forebears of his white mother owned slaves, according to genealogical research and census records.

    ” . . . The records could add a new dimension to questions by some who have asked whether Obama – who was raised in East Asia and Hawaii and educated at Columbia and Harvard – is attuned to the struggles of American blacks descended from West African slaves.”

    While many including Obama blame white people for slavery, they need to check the facts first.

    The Meaning Of The Post Is: Obama’s relatives never were brought here into slavery, because Obama’s Muslim family were the ones rounding up the African slaves. it was the European white Christians that fought and died to end slavery, both in Africa and America.

    As Obama says: his grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama is Arab. Obama’s maternal grandmother, Akuma, was kidnapped, raped and enslaved by Oyango until she finally escaped, like many girls he had before. So his own grandmother in Africa was a slave to his Arabic Muslim Grandfather. This is according to Sarah Obama, Barack’s step-grandmother and mentioned in Barack’s own Memoir.

    So both his African-Arabic Muslim grandfather and his white grandparents owned slaves. :o

    Should we keep dredging this up? NO! We should all move on and maybe try to stop the slavery that is going on today.
    “We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” Abraham Lincoln
  • mickeyratmickeyrat Posts: 38,709
    The Pres is a Jr.? Huh, TOTALLY changes my perception of the man
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