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White high school student: ‘Black Lives’ don’t matter White high school student: ‘Black Lives’ don’t matter
(about 3 hours later)
A viral video recording of a suburban white Maryland teenager disparaging the Black Lives Matter movement with inflammatory racist pronouncements has prompted a swift response from local school officials. A viral video of a suburban white Maryland teenager disparaging the Black Lives Matter movement with inflammatory racist pronouncements has prompted a swift response from local school officials, who described the recording as “disturbing.”
Howard County superintendent Renee Foose described the video as “disturbing,” and wrote a letter to parents Thursday noting that student’s comments offered “a teachable moment.” The 30-second video, which quickly gained momentum in recent days on social media, shows a student at Mt. Hebron High School, in Ellicott City, saying “who the [expletive] cares about some black man who dies?” The student goes on to say that black lives do not matter because “they are an inferior race, OK?”
The 30-second video shows a student at Mt. Hebron High School, in Ellicott City, saying “who the [expletive] cares about some black man who dies?” The student goes on to say that black lives do not matter because “they are an inferior race, OK?” The video ends with the student grabbing a five-dollar bill and holding it up to the camera to display the face of president Abraham Lincoln, saying: “This guy is a traitor to the white race.”
The video ends with the student grabbing a five-dollar bill and holding it up to the camera to display the face of president Abraham Lincoln.
“This guy is a traitor to the white race,” the student said.
The video quickly gained momentum online and spread widely in recent days through social media platforms such as Tumblr and Twitter.
[Minority students in a Maryland school district make a video about their struggles][Minority students in a Maryland school district make a video about their struggles]
After the video caught the attention of school officials, the student, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, posted a message on social media and apologized. The video emerged amid a nationwide discussion on race in America’s public classrooms and college campuses, one that gained steam after racial tensions at the University of Missouri last fall led to massive protests, a near-boycott by the school’s football team and the resignation of the administration’s president and chancellor. Students at colleges nationwide in recent months have been vocally pushing for meaningful change to what they see as institutional racism.
“I am learning from this mistake and hope to gain forgiveness from those who I hurt with my words,” he said. And the concern has arisen at the nation’s public high schools, too. Earlier this month, schools officials in Phoenix suspended six white high school students who posed for a photograph wearing t-shirts with gold letters that alluded to the N-word; in Berkeley, Calif., hundreds of high school students staged a protest in November after threats of a public lynching and references to the Ku Klux Klan were discovered on a school computer.
The demonstrations by teens and college students have come as the Black Lives Matter movement has influenced the political conversation during an election year. Inspired by police-involved shootings against young black men, the movement has spurred demonstrations from Ferguson, Mo., where 18 year-old Michael Brown died in a scuffle with a white police officer, to Baltimore, where Freddie Gray, 25, died in a transport van while in police custody.
Mt. Hebron high school, where the student who made the video this week attends and is an athlete, is about 14 miles from Baltimore, in Howard County.
Howard County schools superintendent Renee Foose wrote in a letter to parents that the Mt. Hebron student’s video has been “offending many people of all races, and reflecting poorly on students directly involved and those who chose to stand silent. This behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
The video shows the student being goaded by a team member into discussing his racial beliefs. After the video caught the attention of school officials, the student featured in the recording posted a message on social media apologizing.
“I am learning from this mistake and hope to gain forgiveness from those who I hurt with my words,” he said. The student did not respond to requests for comment.
[Virginia high school students suspended for wearing Confederate flag apparel][Virginia high school students suspended for wearing Confederate flag apparel]
School Board Member Ann De Lacy — who is African American and grew up in the South, attending segregated schools until 9th grade –said she had never heard anything like what appears in the video. School Board Member Ann De Lacy — who is African American and grew up in the South, attending segregated schools until 9th grade — said she had never heard anything like what appears in the video.
“Nobody ever said anything like that to me,” she said. “I was absolutely stunned. I don’t think I’ve seen anything as angry and demeaning before. It was so hate-filled. It was just shocking that a child that young could harbor such hate.”“Nobody ever said anything like that to me,” she said. “I was absolutely stunned. I don’t think I’ve seen anything as angry and demeaning before. It was so hate-filled. It was just shocking that a child that young could harbor such hate.”
Referring to the teen’s reference to Abraham Lincoln, she asked: “Is he sorry that we don’t have slavery anymore?”Referring to the teen’s reference to Abraham Lincoln, she asked: “Is he sorry that we don’t have slavery anymore?”
De Lacy said she would like to see a town hall as soon as possible at Mt. Hebron that would bring together all students. De Lacy said she would like to see a town hall as soon as possible at Mt. Hebron that would bring together all students. She said Mt. Hebron has had a problem with racial tensions and that she had met with the principal about it two or three times this school year.
“This is not a laughing matter,” De Lacy said. “This is not a prank.”“This is not a laughing matter,” De Lacy said. “This is not a prank.”
She said Mt. Hebron has had a problem with racial tensions and that she had met with the principal about it two or three times this school year.
The video emerged amid a nationwide discussion on race in America’s public classrooms and college campuses. Earlier this month, schools officials in Phoenix suspended six white high school students who posed for a photograph wearing t-shirts with gold letters that alluded to the N-word.
“My heart is heavy that today we have to stand before you to address an issue that’s very real in this world, and that situation is racial prejudice, racial slurs, that oftentimes we have become insensitive to,” Kenneth Baca, superintendent of Tempe Union High School District, said at a news conference Monday, Jan. 25. “We are outraged, we are saddened, but most importantly, we want to ensure that this never happens again.”
In videos posted to the district’s website, school officials said the discipline process was ongoing for the students involved, whom they described as remorseful.
“What’s going on in the culture of America where this was able to happen?” said Alyssa Stiggers, president of the black student union at the school, Desert Vista High. Stiggers said her organization would start a campaign to help teach the painful history of the slur. “It’s become socially acceptable for the n-word to be used on a regular basis.”
In Berkeley, Calif., hundreds of high school students staged a protest after threats of a public lynching and references to the Ku Klux Klan were discovered on a school computer.
[Berkeley High student admits to posting racist message that prompted protest][Berkeley High student admits to posting racist message that prompted protest]
A student effort surrounding racial tensions at the University of Missouri led to massive protests, a near-boycott by the school’s football team and the resignation of the administration’s president and chancellor. Students at schools nationwide have been pushing for meaningful change to what they see as institutional racism. DeRay McKesson, a prominent Black Lives Matter movement leader who was born in Baltimore, said that he saw the video and viewed its aftermath as an opportunity for a discussion in schools.
The demonstrations by teens and college students have come as the Black Lives Matter movement has influenced the political conversation during an election year. Inspired by police-involved shootings against young black men, the Black Lives Matter has spurred demonstrations from Ferguson, Mo., where 18 year-old Michael Brown died in a scuffle with a white police officer, to Baltimore, where Freddie Gray, 25, died in a transport van while in police custody. “Hopefully this video will lead to robust conversations about racism and its impact in classrooms and amongst students and families,” McKesson said.
In the Howard County incident, teenagers said that it came as little surprise that the video involved a student from Mt. Hebron, which is located about 14 miles west of Baltimore. Students told The Post that Mt. Hebron, which is majority white, has struggled with racist behavior in the past, tensions that were brought to light because of the video.
Foose wrote in her letter that the video has been “offending many people of all races, and reflecting poorly on students directly involved and those who chose to stand silent. This behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
The video brought to light racial tensions that had crept in the shadows at Mt. Hebron. Students told The Washington Post that the school, which is majority white, has struggled with racist behavior in the past.
An area of the school where black students often congregate in between classes is referred to as “the jungle,” they said. The students said it was not out of the ordinary to hear white students say racial epithets in the hallways.An area of the school where black students often congregate in between classes is referred to as “the jungle,” they said. The students said it was not out of the ordinary to hear white students say racial epithets in the hallways.
One junior said in an interview that the video recording is just the latest instance of simmering racism at the school. She said that last year another student compared black people to “savages” and that white students at school sometimes overtly refer to black students as “monkeys,” or worse. One junior said that the video is just the latest instance of simmering racism at the school, where last year another student compared black people to “savages” and where white students sometimes overtly refer to black students as “monkeys,” or worse.
The junior, who The Post is not identifying because she is a minor, said that the video displays racist behavior that is common at Mt. Hebron. “It was not shocking because I know the type of people that go to my school,” said the junior, who The Post is not identifying because she is a minor. “It was just the first time they’ve gotten caught.”
“It was not shocking because I know the type of people that go to my school,” the junior said. “It was jut the first time they’ve gotten caught.” Kwame Rose, another prominent Baltimore activist, said that the video showed the prevalence of racism even in suburban Maryland.
“It just goes to show the ignorance inside of the school system in Howard County,” said Rose. “It will take a different type of education for them to understand what’s wrong with that language.”
Foose said the school is investigating the incident, which was made during a party at a student’s home in recent days.Foose said the school is investigating the incident, which was made during a party at a student’s home in recent days.
Howard County schools spokesman John White said that Foose viewed the video on Thursday afternoon.
“It’s not the type of behavior she would expect from our students,” he said.
In a “call to action,” Foose encouraged students to delete the video and refrain from sharing it.In a “call to action,” Foose encouraged students to delete the video and refrain from sharing it.
“This is more than an example of irresponsible use of social media,” Foose wrote. “It is hateful. No Howard County public school student should engage in this type of conduct, nor do they need to be exposed to it.”“This is more than an example of irresponsible use of social media,” Foose wrote. “It is hateful. No Howard County public school student should engage in this type of conduct, nor do they need to be exposed to it.”
But Foose’s message appeared to come too late. The video, she said in her letter, had already been shared hundreds of times online.But Foose’s message appeared to come too late. The video, she said in her letter, had already been shared hundreds of times online.
It also is not the first time that the school has been forced to address overt forms of racism. In 2009, vandals broke into the school and scrawled “KKK” and drew Nazi swastikas on the walls.It also is not the first time that the school has been forced to address overt forms of racism. In 2009, vandals broke into the school and scrawled “KKK” and drew Nazi swastikas on the walls.
In a letter to Mt. Hebron parents, principal Andrew Cockley wrote that he planned to meet with the teenagers involved in the video.In a letter to Mt. Hebron parents, principal Andrew Cockley wrote that he planned to meet with the teenagers involved in the video.
“This is an incident when students were engaging in hateful conversations,” Cockley wrote.“This is an incident when students were engaging in hateful conversations,” Cockley wrote.
White, the Howard County spokesman, said no decision has been made yet about disciplinary action but that the student code of conduct covers offenses that take place away from school. A provision in the code notes that “disciplinary action may be taken for off-campus incidents if the action could have an adverse effect on the order and general welfare of the schools.” Howard County spokesman John White said no decision has been made yet about disciplinary action but that the student code of conduct covers offenses that take place away from school. A provision in the code notes that “disciplinary action may be taken for off-campus incidents if the action could have an adverse effect on the order and general welfare of the schools.”
White said that the Mt. Hebron principal is planning to meet with the student and their families next week to discuss the incident and any possibile disciplinary action.
Reg Avery, president of the PTA Council of Howard County, said the incident does not reflect the greater community or it’s values. “That’s not us,” he said. “This shocks me to the core. If someone espouses this kind of rhetoric, they have some very deep-seated issues and issues that need to be taken care of now.”
Avery said he hopes parents would sit down with their children and talk about what it means to live in a culturally diverse society. “This is something that needs to be discussed,” he said.
Emma Brown contributed to this report.Emma Brown contributed to this report.
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