In today's climate it appears the only thing we are allowed to call "black" without being accused of racism is "Black Friday." So why a teacher would think they could "play" slavery with black students for a teaching lesson and everything would be OK leaves me speechless...
A white social studies teacher attempted to enliven a seventh-grade discussion of slavery by binding the hands and feet of two black girls, prompting outrage from one girl's mother and the local chapter of the NAACP. After the mother complained to Haverstraw Middle School, the superintendent said he was having "conversations with our staff on how to deliver effective lessons."
On Nov. 18, Bernstein was discussing the conditions under which African captives were taken to America in slave ships. She bound the two students' hands and feet with tape and had them crawl under a desk to simulate the experience, Monahan and Shand said. Monahan said the girls were not the only blacks in the class. More...
And this exhibition of brilliance is from a person forming our future!
What in the hell could this lady have been thinking? From what I can tell, I do not believe it was done in a racist or hateful way - but how could one not think this would be offensive?
The teacher has apologized but the NY school, Haverstraw Middle School, has refused to state what, if any, action has been taken against the teacher other than to say she has been spoken with. Guess who finds this unacceptable? The parents and I don't blame them.
With her last name, I will assume the teacher is jewish. Would she think it was OK to teach about the holocaust by having jewish students stick their heads in the cafeteria ovens? Maybe she would teach the kids about handicap people by pushing little wheelchair-bound Johnny down the stairs to explain why there are handicap ramps.
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