APS black student singled out to play cotton picking game

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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?

Everything is offensive to someone somehow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This. Also, it was a game provided by the school, and every class was doing it as a team building activity. The real problem was arguing with the kiddo when he said he was offended or didn’t want to participate, but I also don’t think that a long-term substitute can be expected to understand the ramifications.

Was the student actually offended, or did he, like most pre-teens or teens, not want to do the stupid activity? I wonder if he became offended once he told his mom about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a AA APS parent and this seemed a bit blown out of portion to me too. Also, I should add I grew up in South Carolina so I think if anyone would be offended it would be me. I may have felt it was not an appropriate game to begin with, and advise the APS administration of the matter and then would have told my child they have a right to decline partipation any school activities that make them uncomfortable going forward. I think this was a case of bad choice in activity no different than the cotton planting activity at Campbell elementary a few years back, and it was buried quickly.

https://www.arlnow.com/2019/05/16/planting-of-cotton-at-arlington-elementary-school-prompts-discussion/

You're right. From that article, these instances are quite similar in that neither are the slightest bit racist or inappropriate.
Is every game or activity or gardening effort involving cotton racist now?
If anything, growing the cotton plant could give all students a visual understanding of what slaves were forced to do. Let's face it - do most people really know what "picking cotton" entails?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A similar story in our district outside of DMV. A black student volunteered to play the role of a slave in a school wide play. It was later blown up by his parent and escalated to the district level and later used to try and shut the charter school down (very popular school but an eyesore for the district leadership because competition).
i bet there is more to the story here as well

And that parent would have made the same uproar if a white person played the role of the slave.

[Anonymous]

I am sure there will be a lawsuit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am sure there will be a lawsuit

This. They want $$$. This is f***ing stupid. Are we going to ban wearing cotton now? It wasn’t picking cotton, had nothing to do with that in any way. Now they’re going to try to sue even after the school and APS fall all over themselves apologizing and firing everyone involved. GMAFB. Worry about the real problems, like all the fake inflated grades masking how far behind students of color are.

[Anonymous]

Students on the wrong end of an achievement gap playing idiotic games instead of math and science….this is the real equity issue. APS should publicly thank the parents for bringing this matter to light and immediately increase the workload at Gunston.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This. Also, it was a game provided by the school, and every class was doing it as a team building activity. The real problem was arguing with the kiddo when he said he was offended or didn’t want to participate, but I also don’t think that a long-term substitute can be expected to understand the ramifications.

Was the student actually offended, or did he, like most pre-teens or teens, not want to do the stupid activity? I wonder if he became offended once he told his mom about it.

I keep thinking about that. Like, if that embarrassed him imagine how embarrassed he is now with his mom parading him in front of cameras and everything. Making a big deal about something pretty innocuous. Can’t believe Duran gave it any attention at all.

[Anonymous]

This reminds me of that time a teacher got in big trouble for allegedly growing and making students pick cotton. Reported to the Twitterverae by a friend of an extended day staff member at that school, like a bad game of telephone. And the Twitter creep just wanted their 15 mins of fame. Turns out the teacher was given the seeds by a Black parent (an ADOS) who was a botanist for a growing experiment. Teacher posted a photo of kids doing said experiment, some of whom happened to be Black (not ADOS, but recent African immigrants), and all hell broke loose. To the teacher’s credit, the plants were immediately destroyed. That teacher is a stepparent to a black child and was horrified to think she had caused harm. So I guess the lesson is: no cotton of any kind may be allowed in schools. Nurses better find a different material for swabs.

[Anonymous]

They just ran the story on NBC4 and I still don’t get why the kid was so offended. It sounds like a money grab by the family. The family attorney said cotton should never be around black people because it is a trigger for slavery. Pretty sure 90% of his clothes were cotton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They just ran the story on NBC4 and I still don’t get why the kid was so offended. It sounds like a money grab by the family. The family attorney said cotton should never be around black people because it is a trigger for slavery. Pretty sure 90% of his clothes were cotton.

Are you serious??
Now what…potatoes cannot be near people of Irish descent because it is a trigger for famine?? Where do you draw the line?? SMH

[Anonymous]

Welcome to our new world where everyone is offended by everything and if you are offended then you are probably a racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They just ran the story on NBC4 and I still don’t get why the kid was so offended. It sounds like a money grab by the family. The family attorney said cotton should never be around black people because it is a trigger for slavery. Pretty sure 90% of his clothes were cotton.

The attorney is Justin Fairfax. Wow, what an embarrassing way to try to get back in the news.

We get it, they want $$$.

[Anonymous]

I think the issue is now that the child is being forced to segregate and take the class by himself in the Library while the long term sub still teaches the others. And he’s being bullied by other students because of the fallout.

Gunston/APS could have found a better solution. I know teachers are hard to find (particularly foreign language ones), but it’s not his fault that he found himself in a racist game. It’s not fair, but can he go to another MS?

[Anonymous]

This is absolutely idiotic.