Racist Teachers Do Not Belong In The Teaching Profession
“The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children.”
Nelson Mandela
As described in an article published in the Los Angeles Times and written by Colleen Shalby and contributing writer Richard Winton on May 13, 2019, “Last week, four teachers and a principal were placed on leave after a photo of the educators posing with what appears to be a noose circulated on email and social media.” The photograph was taken at the Summerwind Elementary School Palmdale School District in the state of California.
While controversy continues to mount regarding the reasons why these educators were smiling as they either held the noose or pointed to it as each displayed a gleeful disposition, my intent is to focus on what is observed in this disturbing image and to expose the real meaning behind the actions of these educators.
The noose continues to symbolize a form of racism and reminds Black people that there are still those within our world today who flaunt their superior beliefs about their ultimate position in society.
Thousands of Black individuals were among the majority of people who were lynched as early as the eighteenth century through the mid-twentieth century by those who imposed their own justice through a horrible death. The noose was used as the primary way of punishing Blacks who failed to remain in their subservient place in their environment. The blood of innocent Black people was shed as the noose was used to suspend their bodies from trees and poles. The bodies of those who were lynched were dragged distances and mutilated beyond recognition as they were burned, stabbed and shot multiple times, and castrated. Dismembered body parts and pieces of clothing from those who were hanged were distributed to lynch mobs as souvenirs as they watched the gruesome displays of ultimate torture, cruelty, and hatred with jubilant smiles on their faces.
The noose is an absolute reminder to Blacks of the racial terror our brothers and sisters of the not too distant past experienced. The noose will always remind my race of the oppression, suppression, and powerlessness that we have yet to overcome as a people.
Historically speaking, a lynch mob is classified as three or more people who gathered to celebrated their belief that they had so much power over a Black person that they were entitled to ravage the life out of them.
The picture of the four teachers gleefully holding and pointing to the noose as the principal memorializes the moment by taking a picture, which was their souvenir, is reminiscent of the lynch mobs of the past. Each educator willfully participated in the pose that powerfully communicated to the entire world the harsh reality of who they really are.
- The teachers and the principal are racist. Each woman associated with the picture non-verbally communicated their intrinsic predisposition of superiority, power, and control over Black people.
- Each educator displayed their ignorance. As educated individuals responsible for imparting a broad depth of knowledge to children, these women lack a basic understanding of history.
- The women are insensitive. They failed to understand that the noose is an inhuman symbol that must never be synonymous with or equated to laughter or playfulness. Instead, they lack empathy, compassion, and sympathy for their Black students.
- The teachers have no regard for their diverse students or families. Their actions not only disrespected the Black families in the school but every multicultural member of their regional community and those located everywhere.
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In my opinion, the four teachers and the principal shown in the photograph no longer deserve the right to retain their instructional and administrative certificates. They also do not deserve to educate children, the most precious members of our global village any longer. I consider them a disgrace to the teaching profession.
As an advocate for family engagement in education, their unacceptable actions have extinguished any possibility to repair the broken relationships that now exist with the parents that they are responsible to serve. I am certain that any trust that families once had in these disgraced professionals is now eternally lost. It is also my belief that parents no longer believe that their children have the capacity to thrive in an educational environment with these teachers because their true nature has been revealed. Parents, especially those from diverse populations, will forever have concerns about equity and equality with these teachers as it exclusively relates to their children and their learning.
My recommendation for these teachers is to accept their deserving consequence, which will hopefully be a termination so that they will learn from their terrible mistake.
What is do you think?
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Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is a retired Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher, Principal, Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Assistant to the Superintendent for Family and Community Engagement, and Professor of Multicultural Education. Her e-learning course and social media platforms can be accessed on her website at www.Drdeborahmvereen.com and she is dedicating the rest of her life to serving as a Global Family Engagement Influencer.
