Room4Debate: Should a Child be Punished for Wearing Blackface?

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May 22, 2012

From the Huffington Post

Sean King, a Colorado Springs second-grader at Meridian Ranch Elementary school, found himself in hot water last when he was pulled out of class for dressing like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. while also wearing black face paint for a school project. Now, Sean and his family want an apology from the school for the way the staff handled the situation.

Sean, 8-years-old, told KRDO that he feels school officials were “mean” to him and his family, citing that they made his mother cry. Sean explained that he is confused why other children who also wore face paint honoring other historical people were not punished like he was. “They were really negative to me,” Sean said about school staff.

School officials are now considering offering special classes about racial stereotypes to help teach kids and parents more about racial sensitivity.

Sean says he mean no harm by wearing the make-up, but Stephanie Meredith, a spokesperson for the school’s principal, said that it wasn’t just the school’s staff that was offended by Sean’s face paint, it was other students as well.

What are your thoughts? Was the principal right to act as she did?

Read more of the story here.

Read a piece by Reggie Jackson about why bullies in blackface don’t apologize.

More news stories like this.

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