What's your take on the Black History Month display at our elementary school? (now with pic)

[oldlady]

I live/work in a neighborhood that is 60% African-American. We are bused to an elementary school with all-white teaching staff. One Latina heads up the after-school program and one African-American woman helps in the reading recovery program. On Friday, I noticed a glass case with a Black History Month display that included some picture books from the library, a couple of African instruments, a stuffed Black Sambo doll with accompanying text photocopied from a Black Sambo storybook and an "Aunt Jemima" style figurine. I was with a young African-American co-worker and a young white co-worker who were horrified and considered it predictable for what they consider to be a "bad" environment for our neighborhood kids anyway, and one older African-American co-worker who felt the staff probably had their hearts in the right place but just didn't know better. I took a photo and asked another African-American co-worker (whose sister is the only African-American working at the school) what she thought. She felt the display was troubling, but that the kids probably had no idea what the doll and storybook represented and weren't offended.

Wondering what you think--

My mistake: it isn't Black Sambo, it's Uncle Mose. The text says: "Uncle Mose comes to us from the plantation days of the south. He reminds us of the old negro man who gathered the children around him in the evenings and entertained them with his stories of wonder and adventure."

[YDogg]

1. perhaps it was put together by a clueless twenty-something ...

... who thought s/he was doing the right thing. still seems odd, though.

[annabanana]

2. Seriously? That was the display? Something stinks...

I find it hard to believe that in this day and age. What is percentage of black kids to white?.. And how could the staff "not know any better" at a SCHOOL?

Please post the picture if you can. . . .

[goclark]

3. I have been a school administrator for many years ~ it is outrageous!

There is absolutely no excuse for such insulting behavior.

"asked another African-American co-worker (whose sister is the only African-American working at the school) what she thought. She felt the display was troubling, but that the kids probably had no idea what the doll and storybook represented and weren't offended."

You asked the wrong clueless person- it is insulting and needs to be removed immediately.

You were right to question it --- a major key to Cultural Relations is " If you have the sightless thought that it would be offensive, it probably is offensive."

I certainly home that a group of parents/teachers are so concerned about it that they will bring it to the attention of the Principal(who should have stopped it) or the Superintendent.

[oldlady]

6. No, no explanatory text

just the picture books and "artifacts" -- I'll try to post the photo in a bit.

[Ian David]

4. Does the Sambo doll and Aunt Jemima thing have text explaining that they're racist representations?

[NOLALady]

5. My community is about 10% Black.

All of the schools are about the same percentage.

But, if I saw a display like that at my daughter's school, I would request an audience with the person in charge. I would educate them on what's considered offensive in some communities.

JMHO

[karlrschneider]

7. That book was one of those burned in Fahrenheit 451 because it offended

some people.

[noamnety]

8. OMG, that is not okay.

Seems they managed to create a display honoring racist stereotypes, rather than black history.

Are they going to have an assembly for it where the all-white staff wears black face?

I think someone needs to let them know why this is unacceptable, and that it needs to be removed immediately. And maybe someone in your community who has a clue could volunteer to put together something that's more appropriate.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. Even I knew that the Sambo/Jemima stuff was NO

back in the '70s, when I was one of the first teachers that even celebrated Black History Month by having my students check out books. I understand why that was considered not right even back then, and emphasized folks like Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass.

[End Of The Road]

10. Very Jim Crow. Astounding. n/t

[gollygee]

11. I need to see a photo of this

It's hard to believe any school outside of Jena could be that clueless.

[Sabriel]

12. Excellent book choices, crappy doll choice

So I can only award half points.

Seriously, someone's head needs to roll on this eff-up. That doll represents every stereotype of the black minstrel.

And as someone who works with future teachers, I can assure you stuff like this seems acceptable to some people. That's part of a good teacher education program...to point out privilege and stereotypes and to get white teachers to recognize it when they see it (or think about using it in their curriculum).

[Hekate]

13. That's the entirety of the display? What the devil are they teaching in the classrooms?

I would really want to know what the curriculum for Black History Month is in that school, because there's such an abundance of material that teachers don't even need to do any work to apply it.

In order to put that display case together and think it's anywhere near appropriate, a person would have had to actively avoid all input for the past four decades. Was some teacher's aide given this assignment with no guidance -- maybe scratched her head and searched in her attic?

It's like a St. Patrick's Day exhibit honoring Irish Americans with a couple of leprechauns and one line drawing showing them digging the Erie Canal. No President John F. Kennedy, no Great Famine, no contributions to American history. Or say, a Columbus Day exhibit honoring Italian Americans with a pizza pie and a joke about the Mafia.

This is not only outrageous but is incredibly baffling in 2008.

Hekate

edited to amend last sentence