APS black student singled out to play cotton picking game

[Anonymous]

This is the strangest story. It also evidence of why anti-racism curricula are helpful:

https://wjla.com/news/local/arlington-public-...naacp-francisco-durn

It also demonstrates what teacher shortages can lead to (side eye at long-term sub)…

[Anonymous]

Obviously title should have said black “student”. Inadvertent omission.

[Anonymous]

Why didn't the other students say something?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why didn't the other students say something?

Sounds like teacher is a bully of some sort. How many middle schoolers do you know have enough confidence to challenge a teacher like that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why didn't the other students say something?

As I understand it, he wasn’t singled out as the only child participating. (that does not make this right, I am just clarifying). There were several children participating in there weren’t enough children volunteering so she asked him to do it. I think to non-black children, they may not have understood why it was offensive…. No one used the term picking cotton, they were trying to pick up a cotton ball with their nose. If the sub had used those different colored poms, would this have been an issue? Not sure but my god how did any game having to do with picking up cotton balls pass an educational and diversity committee?

Further, When the student said something to their parents, they became upset and contacted at the school. The substitute retaliated at the student the next day, that’s what the story gets really disturbing. It was very poorly handled. Now the family has hired Justin fairfax as a lawyer.

[Anonymous]

I took my child to a family yoga class and there was an activity where they were multicolored cotton pom-pom balls all over the floor. The goal was to get as many of the balls in different buckets as you could only using your toes. It was a cute activity, but now I’m wondering would that be offensive to some families?

[Anonymous]

"Sidney Rousey, an 8th-grade student at Gunston Middle School, told 7News earlier this week he was forced by the long-term substitute teacher in his French class on February 8 to play the game requiring him to try picking up cotton balls from his desk with his face after applying Vaseline under his nose. As he put it, the teacher called for volunteers to go first and immediately singled him out. He is the only Black student in that particular class."

Why in the world would they be playing this game in French class? Are there any subject areas left that don't require an "honest discussion" about US race relations and the history of enslaved people? Is it too much to ask for 8th grade students to just learn French in French class?

[Anonymous]

I personally think the title is a bit misleading. It was a game and all of the students were playing. They weren’t picking cotton, they were moving cotton balls with their noses in a game. Probably not a good use of school time, but not inherently racist.

[Anonymous]

This seems like a nothing burger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Sidney Rousey, an 8th-grade student at Gunston Middle School, told 7News earlier this week he was forced by the long-term substitute teacher in his French class on February 8 to play the game requiring him to try picking up cotton balls from his desk with his face after applying Vaseline under his nose. As he put it, the teacher called for volunteers to go first and immediately singled him out. He is the only Black student in that particular class."

Why in the world would they be playing this game in French class? Are there any subject areas left that don't require an "honest discussion" about US race relations and the history of enslaved people? Is it too much to ask for 8th grade students to just learn French in French class?

It was one of those activities like “minute to win it”. Filler time for the substitute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This seems like a nothing burger.

It could’ve been if handled appropriately, but clearly the substitute lacked any emotional maturity when they confronted the child asking “so you think I’m racist?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This seems like a nothing burger.

+100 it was a game that involved cotton balls not "picking cotton." Blowing up over something silly will just make people less likely to take you seriously when there are real issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This seems like a nothing burger.

+100 it was a game that involved cotton balls not "picking cotton." Blowing up over something silly will just make people less likely to take you seriously when there are real issues.

I have to agree with this here. A weird game, yes. Intentionally choosing a racist game and targeting a black child in class? No. A brief search on the internet tells me the game is called Nose Dive and is taken from the Minute to Win It Television game show.

https://www.workrfun.com/activities/300-Nose-...nute-to-Win-It-Game/

It sounds like the substitute teacher's response was inappropriate after the fact, but let's face it-- we aren't getting the best and brightest to sub at Gunston Middle School for the pennies they are paid and disrespect from students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This seems like a nothing burger.

It could’ve been if handled appropriately, but clearly the substitute lacked any emotional maturity when they confronted the child asking “so you think I’m racist?”

I agree that the teacher should NEVER have confronted the student. This particular teacher is foreign-born, and was likely baffled by the accusations that moving cottons balls from one plate to another as part of a group of "minute-to-win-it" type games was racist.
Honestly, I just feel really badly for this kid. He was brought out in front of reporters, his name and face being made public, because of a game whose tie to cultural insensitivity is related to the fact that one of the materials in it was once farmed by enslaved people. This school is highly diverse, with an African-American principal and students and teachers from every corner of the globe. I'm not really sure what the family's goal is here? To punish the teacher? To make sure that any activity, discussion, book, or conversation at school can ever be deemed by any student as culturally insensitive? Is that even possible in a place with students and staff as diverse as Gunston?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I personally think the title is a bit misleading. It was a game and all of the students were playing. They weren’t picking cotton, they were moving cotton balls with their noses in a game. Probably not a good use of school time, but not inherently racist.

Yes. The incident sounds in no way racist. Blown way out of proportion. However, the sub’s reaction in the class the next day was completely inappropriate.