(Latta Plantation/Latta Plantation.org)
WAXHAW, N.C. --- A history lesson that asked black elementary students to act like slaves has sparked protests from parents and teachers at a North Carolina school Wednesday.
During a field trip to Latta Plantation, three students from Rea View Elementary in Waxhaw were chosen by tour guide Ian Campbell to wear bags and mimic picking cotton while their white classmates looked on, WSOC-TV, Charlotte, reported Friday.
Many of the teachers and parents from the elementary school said they plan on writing the leaders of the plantation regarding the racially insensitive history lesson.
Campbell said "I was trying to be historically correct not politically correct," Campbell adds, "I am very enthusiastic about getting kids to think about how people did things in 1860, 1861 -- even before that period," who added he has been a historian for 15 years.
Kojo Nantambu, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, criticized the lesson.
"There is a lingering pain, a lingering bitterness, a lingering insecurity and a lingering sense of inhumanity since slavery. Because that's still there, you want to be more sensitive than politically correct or historically correct," he said.
Comments
I think it's a good lesson for those kids to see their black classmates doing that. They have a connection with those kids and can see what it would have been like during slavery. The US is becoming far too 'politically correct'. One reason I like living in Thailand, we don't have that here :-) All politically correct does is hide people's prejudices, it doesn't make them stop thinking them.
What's next Cassandra, allowing the White students to act like slave owners and whip the black kids. You have got to be kidding me. Get a life and stay in Thailand with your ignorance.
I can kind of see what he was trying to do, but that still makes me facepalm.
These actions were plain wrong. The teacher was out of line. Placing a child in an inferior position at anytime is wrong. There are different ways to teach about racial injustices other than that. How about the teacher show up next wearing a white sheet over his head and carrying a noose. Would that be ok?
To cassandra- It is minds like yours that will keep prejudices alive. It was not a good lesson for the other children to see that occur. White people did not have any empathy or sympathy for those who were inslaved back then and the same will apply today. If anything it gave those little white children a feeling superiority over the black children. Cassandra, I agree with Monique- Stay in Thiland with your ignorance.
You're right, Cassandra: aspiring towards political correctness doesn't rid us of our prejudices. All it does is remind us that they're wrong.
Reinflicting the trauma of slavery on little kids of colour? That's some horrifying stupidity.
By the way Ian Campbell is the tour guide who made certain children act like slaves.Mr. Campbell is a black historian who works for Latta Plantation.
For the record - I contacted Kristin Toler, executive director at Latta Plantation, who replied in email:
"This incident never happened in the first place. No children were asked to act like slaves or pick cotton. Ian Campbell is himself African American and is offended that people have nothing better to do than make such ridiculous accusations."
(I am going offline for a week but would be happy to pick this up again after that time if the matter is still at issue.)
Yes, Cassandra, lets help the White kids learn more about their privilege at the expense of the Black kids.
Africans in America are known to loving, and forgiving. As Cassandra James stated pc does not slove the problem, nor the way the numb nut who subjected young minds to view such a mean picture, as to what America Stands for. the civil war proclaimed we had freedom. Yet we know that freedom is free. The sad psrt of the coin is that we hate ourselves.
wow, i hope those poor children make it through that brutal torture they've been put through. this is what's wrong with this country. we've all turned into hypersensitive emotional basketcases. save your righteous indignation and try using your brains instead of your very tender emotions!
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