Blatant Disrespect of Black History Month
The LA Times reported this morning on the absurd abuse of Black History Month of three teachers at Wadsworth Elementary, who when selecting Black heroes for their elementary school students to celebrate, chose O.J. Simpson, Dennis Rodman, and RuPaul:
The teachers have been suspended as the L.A. Unified School district investigates. According to officials, children at Wadsworth Avenue Elementary School were carrying pictures of [Simponson, Rodman, and RuPaul] at a parade Friday on the school playground.
Other students were carrying pictures of President Obama and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
We stood yesterday with an array of civil rights leaders, including the local NAACP, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, National Action Network, and others, in calling for those teachers to be held accountable for their offensive and derogatory actions. Teaching our students to respect and be proud of their own culture and that of others is a critical part of building a system of public education that is about what is best for children.
Also: see below for local tv news coverage of the incident, including Eric Lee of SCLC and Leon Jenkins from the NAACP explaining their outrage.
