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Teacher told students to write a 'fun' slave song

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G

GK86

Homeland Security Fail
Link. Searched and didn't see a thread.

A Howard County high school English teacher was placed on administrative leave last week after assigning students to write a "fun" slave song as part of a lesson on abolitionist Frederick Douglass — the latest in a string of racially charged incidents in the suburban school system.

Howard County Superintendent Renee Foose said that she put the Mount Hebron High School teacher on leave for four days after the school system learned of the incident.

Foose called the teacher "inexperienced" and the assignment "outrageous." Foose also said the assignment was not part of the school system's official curriculum.

"It was offensive and out of scope with what we should be teaching," Foose told The Baltimore Sun's editorial board Tuesday.

School system officials did not identify the teacher, saying it was a personnel matter. The teacher returned to the classroom Tuesday, when the district concluded its investigation, Foose said.

Foose said the school system is struggling to manage the fallout in schools from recent incidents, including "racially offensive" posts on social media by students, and the "blowback" from county residents and parents who disagreed with the schools system's response. Foose said she faced criticism for apologizing for the Mount Hebron teacher's assignment.

"Some thought we shouldn't have apologized; some thought we were too quick to apologize," Foose said. "I do not believe you can ever be too quick to apologize."

Mount Hebron High Principal Andrew Cockley wrote in an email to parents Dec. 7 that the assignment was linked to a lesson on the "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," and students were asked to create a slave song "as a means to learn how language can be used effectively to convey feelings and important messages."

However, Cockley wrote, "The activity was culturally insensitive and caused discomfort for many students. The teacher has apologized to all students given the assignment and their parents. The assignment has been removed."

African-American leaders in the county said they were disturbed by the teacher encouraging students in written instructions for the assignment to "have fun" and "entertain us all."

Larry Walker, president of the African American Community Roundtable, said he believed the incident "reflects a culture of insensitivity that is prevalent in our country, not just Howard County."

He believes the district's administration hasn't properly addressed the recent incidents.

"That's a huge frustration for those of us who are trying to console the students who are victims of these social media posts because leadership didn't do the right thing and address this systemically," Walker said. "It takes the leadership standing up to the community, saying this is not tolerable."

In November, an Atholton High School student posted a photo of herself in blackface on social media with a caption that read, "I'm finally a n---er." In a separate incident last month, a white student from River Hill High School posted a photo of herself holding what appears to be a handgun and the text, "I'm boutta shoot some n---ers."

Just last week, following another racially insensitive social media post, about 400 students walked out of Oakland Mills High School to express support for a proposed change in the district's policy that would require administrators to inform students and staff of any "direct or implied threat" made by another students.

"People are angry," Foose said. "And it's playing out in our schools."

Foose also has been criticized for not disciplining students responsible for the hate speech.

She said Tuesday that students have been disciplined in accordance with the county's Code of Conduct. School officials said they are prohibited by privacy laws from revealing any disciplinary measures taken against students.

"We have made it clear that any type of hate speech is not tolerated," she said.
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N

NYCmetsfan

Banned
This kinda stuff is probably so prevalent. I remember when they randomly assigned different parts of the class to be "southern" or "northern" soldiers in elementary school. Of course they also had you "justify your side" and other "fun" activities
 
I

ISOM

Member
NYCmetsfan said:
This kinda stuff is probably so prevalent. I remember when they randomly assigned different parts of the class to be "southern" or "northern" soldiers in elementary school. Of course they also had you "justify your side" and other "fun" activities
Click to expand...

Both sides being ingrained from childhood.
 
M

Media

Member
Fredrick Douglass was an amazing writer and artist and a keystone of several civil rights movements. He demostrated how art can aid in political movements. I can see where she was coming from, and maybe she added 'fun' so the subject wouldn't be so dark?

Am I giving her too much credit?
 
F

Frozenprince

Banned
You can encourage empathy and consideration for the plight of the impoverished and enslaved without telling kids to write a slaves hymn. That's profoundly fucked up.
 
H

HiiiLife

Member
NYCmetsfan said:
This kinda stuff is probably so prevalent. I remember when they randomly assigned different parts of the class to be "southern" or "northern" soldiers in elementary school. Of course they also had you "justify your side" and other "fun" activities
Click to expand...

"Cowboys and Indians" during recess.
 
P

PixelatedBookake

Junior Member
151006_SCHOOLED_Workers-From-Africa.jpg.CROP.original-original.jpg
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
PixelatedBookake said:
151006_SCHOOLED_Workers-From-Africa.jpg.CROP.original-original.jpg
Click to expand...


I haven't read the rest of the book but it does say "Slave Trade" right there. Editor might have been avoiding redundancy. Forced brutalized and often murdered workers are still workers. I mean, they literally built this country.

I did see a story about reframing slaves as migrant workers.
 
C

capitalCORN

Member
Stinkles said:
I haven't read the rest of the book but it does say "Slave Trade" right there. Editor might have been avoiding redundancy. Forced brutalized and often murdered workers are still workers. I mean, they literally built this country.
Click to expand...

Really, you think that's what they were going for? They could have said forced workers you know.
But better the PhD holding editors of the book, than an intellectual pleb like me.
 
A

AtomskEater

Member
"Some thought we shouldn't have apologized; some thought we were too quick to apologize," Foose said. "I do not believe you can ever be too quick to apologize."
Click to expand...

Pfft, I can imagine there's a lot of overlap with the people who complained about the school apologizing and people who think discrimination against whites is a serious problem in this country.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
capitalCORN said:
Really, you think that's what they were going for? They could have said forced workers you know.
But better the PhD holding editors of the book, than an intellectual pleb like me.
Click to expand...

I have no idea since I can only see one bubble which starts with the phrase "slave trade"

For all I know the book is straight racist.
 
Z

zeemumu

Member
Interframe said:
ummm how can a song about slaves be fun? What does a "fun slave song" even sound like lyrically ffs!?
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I guess they wanted them to write Zip-a-dee-do-dah. A Disney song in a movie about slavery. And that's why that movie's probably gone forever, at least everything referring to the live action parts.
 
L

lightskintwin

Banned
excelsiorlef said:
Amazing storyteller, such a fucked up story.
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Reminds me how I went to a civil war museum on a 2nd grade field trip and my dumb ass bought a Confederate Flag because it looked cool just like the top of the Dukes of Hazzard car and I wave it all around all day without anybody saying anything to me.
 
V

Vitten

Member
We're having fun fun fun
In the sun sun sun !

And when we're pickin', we get a wippin' !

So much fun fun fun
Work to be done done done !

Nobody crying, everyone smiling !
 
B

bjork

Member
Back in my day, the "fun" slavery thing was Freedom! by MECC. You too can play as a slave and try to escape a plantation!
 
Sunster

Sunster

Member
I wanna read some of the submissions from kids that did the assignment.

lightskintwin said:
Reminds me how I went to a civil war museum on a 2nd grade field trip and my dumb ass bought a Confederate Flag because it looked cool just like the top of the Dukes of Hazzard car and I wave it all around all day without anybody saying anything to me.
Click to expand...

This post reminded me that at some point in my childhood I attended a birthday party at a "Southern Heritage Museum" in Jacksonville, FL. It was some hole in the wall shop with enormous models of civil war battles made with miniatures and wall to wall weapons and flags and banners. Huh...which one of my friends had racist parents who thought that place would be a good venue for a 9 year olds birthday party?
 
B

Bonen no Max'd

Banned
Stuff like this is genuinely pretty shocking and I'm from rural Idaho, not a stronghold of tolerant racial politics or anything. Aside from one Confederate apologist ("there were no right or wrong sides in the Civil War" ugh) teacher in middle school I can't remember anything like this ever happening. We spent a decent amount of time on MLK and slavery too? I don't even remember much "States rights!" being brought up in history class.

I wonder if I was legitimately blind to it or if I just had a surprisingly progressive set of teachers by accident?

Actually I guess my US history teacher in high school was a lesbian, so she probably wasn't going to put up with any racist bullshit in her class.
 
F

FlowersisBritish

fleurs n'est pas britannique
Vitten said:
We're having fun fun fun
In the sun sun sun !

And when we're pickin', we get a wippin' !

So much fun fun fun
Work to be done done done !

Nobody crying, everyone smiling !
Click to expand...

"See! Look they're singing. How can anyone tell me slavery is all that bad when they're singing in the fields. No one sings when they're having a bad time."
 
B

bjork

Member
My name is kunta
my slave shelter has no floor
I work the field across from you
yes I think you've seen me before

i got nothing, that's not even a fun song originally
 
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