A local elementary school in D.C. is under fire for asking it’s Black student population to dress like slaves.
They offered an apology after causing an uproar with parents.
It took place at Lafayette Elementary School in the middle of a history lesson about the Civil War and Reconstruction. A Black student was reportedly asked to drink from a segregated water fountain.
Some black students were asked “to play roles that are inappropriate and harmful.”
Many students complained to staff that they felt uncomfortable about playing the roles asked of them.
A letter was written by Principal Carrie Broquad to the parents that partially stated that members of the Black 5th grade student body “should not have been tasked with acting out or portraying different perspectives of enslavement and war.”
Additional statement from Principal Broquard was released and read the following.
“At Lafayette, we believe in the importance of teaching painful history with sensitivity and social awareness. Unfortunately we fell short of those values in a recent 5th grade lesson. We deeply regret that we did not foresee this as a potential challenge in role playing so we could set appropriate parameters to protect students. As the leader of the Lafayette school community, I am distressed this happened and saddened our students were hurt. The voices of our students, their resilience and their compassion continue to inspire me to lead us all forward in a better way.”
What are your thoughts on this?
